Marred by My Scars
by PercyJacksonGreekFreak
Summary: Chiron sends our favorite heroes (the Seven, Nico, Rachel, Clarisse, Chris, the Stolls, and Katie [Thalia comes in much later]) to Goode Performing Arts Prep to "sniff" out a new demigod, Leah Stone. They set sights on the girl, but it seems she has a sketchy past. What is she hiding? Does she have more scars than she shows? What will happen when the truth is revealed?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Percy's POV

I internally sighed. We, as in the senior campers (head counselors, same difference), were still waiting for Chiron to show up at the emergency meeting.

The Stolls were passing the time by seeing how much Easy Cheese could fit on Clovis's face. Katie and Clarisse looked on in disgust.

Piper and Annabeth whispered back and forth to each other, Nico sat in his chair, as quiet and brooding a Nico could be, Jason was sketching something on a blueprint (most likely a temple or shrine design for Camp Jupiter), Rachel was slapping her blue plastic hairbrush against her thigh, Frank and Hazel, our resident guests, were just sitting silently, hands intertwined, Will Solace was staring intrigued at Clovis, and Lou Ellen was turning pencils into caterpillars and then changing them back.

Just your typical Saturday morning at Camp Half Blood.

Talk about boring.

Just when I was about to fall face first (alliteration anyone?) into the table, the door opened and Leo and Calypso walked through.

Let me explain the whole "coming-back-from-the-dead-with-an-immortal-daughter-of-a-Titan-who-just-so-happened-to-fall-in-love-with-Percy-when-he-was-15" thing. A few weeks after the war, Leo came back to camp on Festus with Calypso's arms around his waist. He literally jumped off of Happy the Dragon and launched into corny jokes and cheesy punch lines. At first, everyone (especially Piper) was mad at him for not coming to camp sooner, but then they were all happy to see him (especially Piper), and then they started making jokes with him (especially Piper). But that was before Calypso slid off of Festus.

Annabeth literally was about to kill her, immortal or not, for cursing her when were in Tartarus. I was feeling awkward because of well… you know. And Leo was well… he was Leo, by trying to keep the mood light (as if it worked).

But now Annabeth and Calypso are really good friends. They enjoy insulting me for their own amusement, just like Reyna and Annabeth…and Rachel and Annabeth (see the pattern here?). And Leo and I are pretty chill around each other, so it's cool.

And that's that.

"Sorry we're late. This _doofus_ doesn't understand the definition of 'we're going to be late, Repair Boy.'" Calypso apologized.

" _So_ not my fault, Calypso! You were the one who suggested I try to make a fire resistant sword." Leo grumbled.

"Yeah well-"

"Guys!" Piper called out.

The couple turned back to the daughter of Aphrodite.

"Have you seen Chiron? He isn't here yet." She asked them.

"No, we haven't." Calypso frowned.

"Ha! So _technically_ we aren't late!" Leo pumped a fist into the air. Then he grabbed his girlfriend's arm and pulled her into a seat.

The door burst open a few minutes later.

Clovis snapped awake, his mask of cheese fell off in clumps. Everyone stifled laughter at his confused and muffled, "Huh?"

Chiron clopped in, a file folder in his arms. I caught a name on it, Leah Stone.

Who was Leah Stone?

Chiron seated himself at the head of the ping pong table. "Good morning heroes, Clovis." He nodded with a knowing smile at the son of Hypnos.

Clovis blushed very deeply.

"So, why have you called us here, Chiron?" Clarisse asked with her arms folded over her chest.

Chiron smiled. "Mr. D and I have selected a few of you to go look for a new demigod whom we suspect is very powerful. Originally, we were going to send one of the younger satyrs, but it seems that you spend a bit too much time here. So we decided to send those of you who were chosen instead. Besides, it will give you a chance to live as normally as possible."

Annabeth raised a hand. "Look for whom?"

Chiron handed her the file folder. "Leah Stone."

Annabeth opened the folder. Since I was next to her I saw the picture of Leah clearly.

My jaw almost dropped. Now don't get me wrong, I believe that Annabeth is the most beautiful girl in the world. But Leah could easily be a daughter of Aphrodite. And a very pretty one at that.

She had pale blonde curly hair that cascaded down her back. Her gold flecked navy blue eyes were framed with dark lashes.

Leah looked _way_ to happy in the picture for it to be a standard photo, to be honest. She was smiling brightly, and her eyes shined.

She had tanned skin that you could only get from working in the sun, not from just sitting on a pool side chair reading a magazine. Her pearly teeth brought out the dimple on her left cheek, which seemed to bring out her tan even more. But it all seemed to draw attention to the thing that sort of marred her (I admit, just don't tell Wise Girl, beautiful) face.

Leah had a scar on her right cheek that was shaped like an x.

It was obviously healed, but it looked old, like she got it as a child. The thought made my stomach churn, which reminded me that I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

"She's 17, like most of us. There's nothing about her birth parents. It says here that she was put into foster care by the state when she was 4, and was adopted by the Stone family when she was 8. So it might be a little difficult to find out her parent if she's adopted." Annabeth explained before passing the folder to Piper.

When the Stolls got a hold of it, their jaws dropped. "Woah…" Travis breathed.

"Any thoughts to share, Travis?" Katie asked her boyfriend. Her grass green eyes glinted murderously.

"Uh, n-n…er…it's j-just…um…" Travis stuttered.

"It's just _obvious_! She's a daughter of Aphrodite!" Connor exclaimed. "I mean, just _look at her!"_

Will Solace raised an eyebrow. "She could easily be a daughter of Apollo. Here it says her main interests are basketball, singing, and archery in her free time. Plus, she has the blonde hair and the blue eyes. My guess is that she belongs in the Apollo cabin." He said.

Connor remained silent.

"So, you're sending us to high school to see if she's a demigod?" I asked Chiron.

Said centaur nodded.

Clarisse grunted. "So you're sending over a dozen of us to some random high school. Yeah right, and we won't attract monsters like moths to a light."

Chiron chuckled. "The gods, mostly Hecate (cue Hazel perking up at her basically patron goddess), have pulled a few strings and allowed the Mist to cover your scents, Miss La Rue."

Clarisse huffed, but said nothing.

"When do we start?" Annabeth asked.

"Monday morning. The gods also supplied you with a house for you to live in and these," Chiron spread his hands.

The air shimmered and 14 smart phones, 14 laptops, and 14 tablets appeared on the table.

"Hephaestus has taken the liberty in inventing monster proof technology. All of these have an Iris messaging application to keep in touch with those of us that stay here." He explained.

We dove for the electronics (Yes, I'm aware that I just pronounced a four syllable word. I _do_ have a brain in there, despite what Annabeth says). They all looked like Apple devices, but if you looked closely, you'd notice 3 words under the Apple logo: Hephaestus Technology Corporation, or HTC.

When Chiron dismissed us, I left to go pack, since breakfast was long over. I started looking for my duffel bag in my cabin. I swear to all the gods that I saw it in the back of my closet last week when I was digging for a sweatshirt, only to find that Annabeth had taken it. Hoodie thief. I should probably go and ask for it back. I was getting a bit – oh here it is!

I grabbed the handle of the bag and pulled. It barely budged. I frowned. I pulled harder. It finally gave way and I flew back. My back crashed against a bunk leg, but I barely felt it. I grinned in triumph.

"Seaweed Brain: 1, Duffel Bag: 0." I said.

Afterwards I packed. As I zipped up (or tried to) my bag, I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I called.

Annabeth walked in, sporting my stolen hoodie, jean shorts, and her gray Converse hi-tops that I had (apparently) vandalized with doodles and messages.

"Hey, Perce." She greeted.

"Hello there, pretty lady." I grinned before giving her a peck on the lips.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was (poorly) trying to suppress a smile. "Gods, Percy, must you be so cheesy?"

"Always, Wise Girl." I told her.

"Whatever. I came to tell you the name of the school we're going to." Annabeth grinned a grin that basically said "I-know-something-you-don't-know."

But then again, she grins at me like that every day.

"Well?"

"I'm sure you'll remember the name."

"Will I?"

"If involved blood sucking cheerleaders and an exploding band room."

I grinned. "We're going to Goode?"

She nodded. "But it's changed from a prestigious private high school to a performing arts prep school."

I nodded. "I'm fine with that."

The next day, we were getting a tour of our new house designed and built by the gods.

"And here's the swimming pool for Percy (and others) to use. Percy, if you decide to try out for swim team, you'll be able to practice from home." Poseidon explained.

I smiled. "Awesome."

So far we had seen the living room, numerous bathrooms, the kitchen, "family" room, dining room*, training room, basketball court, backyard, and the beauty room, "for the females to freshen up and apply makeup before school (Aphrodite's words, not mine)."

As if that would happen.

Zeus led us to the bedrooms. There were 8 rooms in all. Roommates were divided into couples, except for Connor and Rachel. Since Travis and Katie were rooming together, they _had_ to sleep in the same room, because there wasn't enough.

That would be beyond awkward, since Rachel isn't allowed to date, due to the whole holder-of-the-spirit-of-Delphi gig.

Hephaestus explained the mechanism for the beds. Apparently, they could be put into separate ones, by flipping a switch on the side of the bed. And they could merge into one by flipping the same switch (like a light switch).

Athena was all for having me and Annabeth sleeping in separate beds (surprise, surprise).

But then Aphrodite started telling her to stop being such a stick in the _podex_ and let us be. This resulted in Athena nearly impaling her with a book (who knew that was possible?), but Artemis and Hermes held her back while Hephaestus and Ares held back Aphrodite, who was spitting some pretty nasty insults that I won't include because there might be younglings reading this story, and giving her choice suggestions where she could stab herself with a knife (cue Hazel looking proud [A/N: Son of Neptune reference]).

After the goddesses calmed down, silence and tension donned the air. Zeus cleared his throat.

"Athena, why don't you lead us to the library?"

*The dining room table was a lot like the one on the _Argo II_. It made me happy, nostalgic, and sad at the same time.

I saw down on the edge of my bed. I watched Annabeth as she unpacked her clothes and stuff. When she finished, she sat down beside me.

"You okay, Seaweed Brain?" She asked.

I nodded. "Just thinking."

Annabeth grinned. "You? Thinking? That's dangerous, Percy."

I rolled my eyes. "I was thinking about school, O Wise One."

She grinned again. "Even more dangerous."

I nudged her and subconsciously began playing with her curls. "How do you feel about going to school?" I asked her.

Annabeth shrugged. "Putting aside the whole daughter-of-the-wisdom/knowledge-goddess thing, it seems pretty okay to me. We have the gods' protection, Paul's knowing that we're demigods, which is basically a "get-out-of-jail-free-card," and our friends alongside us. We have a shot on being normal teenagers, Percy, or as normal a demigod can be, but still. I'd say we'll be fine."

I smiled and nodded. For some reason, I felt a surge of emotion flow through me. I loved Annabeth. So. Much.

I pulled her closer to me, my hand cupped her cheek and our lips met.

It wasn't the most passionate kiss, but it was still pretty awesome.

Our lips moved in sync. Annabeth slipped her arms around my neck and began playing with my hair. I rested my free hand on her waist. She was practically on my lap now, not that I cared or even noticed. I was too busy focusing on the girl in front of me, the love of my life.

We broke apart, panting and with pink cheeks.

"W-what was that for?" She asked.

I smiled and pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Annabeth. You know that, right?" I whispered into her hair.

I felt her smile against my shirt. "I love you too, Percy."

We stayed like that for awhile, but then decided to hit the sack. She got ready for bed, pulling on leggings and a large t shirt. I slipped on a tank top and shorts (don't judge, I hate wearing shirts to bed, it makes me feel hot in an uncomfortable way).

Annabeth shut off the lights and climbed into bed beside me. She rested her head in the crook of my neck, and placed a hand to my chest. She was dead asleep in a matter of minutes.

I placed a hand on her waist and found myself getting drowsy. I let sleep overtake me and slipped into a (thank the gods) dreamless state. I fell asleep wondering what I did to deserve a girl like Annabeth.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Percy's POV

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of pancakes.

 _Blueberry_ pancakes.

 _Warm_ blueberry pancakes.

 _Annabeth's_ warm blueberry pancakes.

I shot out of bed and quickly got ready.

I went downstairs to find everyone except Nico devouring their breakfast. Clarisse was the first one to grace my presence (?).

"Well it's about time!" She called to me. I rolled my eyes. That had become her catch phrase ever since the night Annabeth and I got together.

"G'morning to you too, La Rue." I told her.

Said girl grunted in response. She was wearing black and red camouflage army cargo's tucked into black combat boots and a black tank top. Her trademark red bandana kept her suspiciously not-so-stringy brown hair out of her piercing brown eyes.

I'm thinking she actually used the beauty room…

"So kind of you to join us, Percy." Calypso greeted me.

"Why thank you, Calypso." I faked a British accent. It backfired, though, because my voice cracked at the end, which caused me to break into coughs.

Rachel, Annabeth, Katie, Calypso, and Hazel snorted simultaneously.

After breakfast (and dragging Nico out of bed) we walked the short distance to Goode Performing Arts Prep.

We collected our schedules and asked a girl with glossy black hair and sapphire blue eyes where Leah's locker was.

The girl, who introduced herself as April McEvans shrugged and walked away. We wandered the hall ways. A locker door slammed behind us. We turned.

The girls back was turned, but we could see the boy she was talking to. He had brown hair and green eyes.

We inched closer, trying to catch their conversation.

"Hey." The guy flirtatiously greeted.

"What do you want, Parker?" The girl asked.

"You, me, at 8, in a movie theater, tonight. It'll be dark, anything can happen. What do you say, babe?" he asked her.

"No." she answered.

"C'mon baby, you know you wanna." Parker insisted. He inched closer. I felt my blood boil.

"No." she pushed him away.

"Why? It's every girl's dream to get a date with me."

"Well it's my nightmare. And I'm pretty sure I said no."

"C'mon…"

"What part of no don't you understand?"

"Quit playing hard to get. We all know it's an act, baby."

"Quit annoying me."

Parker chuckled and rested a hand on her butt. My eyesight turned red. I was ready to slap his nose sideways, but Annabeth held me back.

"Wait a minute, Percy. Let's see how she plays it." She warned me.

I watched as the girl slapped Parker. He toppled backwards.

"Don't you _dare_ touch me there _ever again_." She menacingly warned him.

Parker stood up. The guy was either very stupid or very desperate, because he reached for her cheek.

The girl grabbed his wrist and bent it backwards. I heard a sickening snap. Parker cried out in pain, his face contorted.

"You know, Parker. You'd think a guy would realize that she's not interested when she breaks his wrist a third time." Venom dripped from her voice.

The hallway was silent. Everyone watched in awe.

Except Annabeth, who had a smug smile on her face, for some reason.

Parker clutched his hand in agony. "It just h-healed! W-why d-did-"he got no further.

The girl grabbed his broken wrist and twisted so his arms were pinned behind his back. She flipped, no, _threw_ him over her shoulder. Parker landed on his chest with a thud. She knelt on his back, his arms still pinned behind. The girl grabbed his hair and pulled it up, drawing his head closer to her.

"Listen to me, Parker, and listen to me good. You ask me out one more time and you'll have more to worry about than a broken wrist. You come near me again and I won't hesitate to turn your cheeks inside out. Now go away before I rearrange your face. Douchebag." She growled into his ear.

The girl pulled him up and Spartan kicked him in the back. Parker went flying, but all he had to break his fall was a broken wrist and a soon-to-be-broken hand. He landed with a shriek of pain and struggled to get up.

The girl huffed in annoyance as she blew a stray hair out of her eyes and slammed her locker closed.

Clarisse grinned. "I like her. She's awesome."

I finally could get a good look at her. She had pale curly blonde hair that tumbled to the small of her back.

Could it be?

She turned and my suspicions were confirmed.

The girl had dark blue eyes with gold flecks that were now blazing with fury. Her tanned skin brought out her hair even more.

But most importantly, she had an x shaped scar on her right cheek.

We found Leah Stone.

Leah's POV

I turned around after I heard a girl say, "I like her. She's awesome."

I saw a group of about 13 or 14 teenagers. They were all staring at me with awe, fear, or suspicion.

I walked toward them and gave them a warm smile. After what I just did to Parker, the last thing I wanted to come off as was a hostile female dog. They inched closer warily as one, which I found a bit odd. But then again, who am I to judge?

"Can I help you?" I asked the very familiar looking black haired, sea green eyed boy in front.

"As a matter of fact, yes you can. Do you know anyone named Leah Stone who goes here?" he asked.

I raised a "perfectly shaped" (Ava's words, not mine) eye brow. "In fact, I do. Leah Stone, at your service. What do you folks need?"

The guy grinned, which earned me quite the glare from the girl beside me. Her blonde hair and stormy grey eyes gave me déjà vu. I _knew_ I'd seen them somewhere before.

"We wanted to know if you could sit with us at lunch." A red haired girl told me.

I smiled and nodded. "Sure. But…what are your names?"

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

"Nico di Angelo."

"Will Solace."

"Katie Gardener."

"Travis Stoll."

"Connor Stoll."

"Clarisse La Rue. Nice moves back there by the way."

"Chris Rodriguez."

"Frank Zhang."

"Hazel Levesque."

"Leo _Flaming_ -"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, Leo."

"Whatever…kill joy. I'm Leo Valdez. Ugh, that sounds so boring! C'mon! I have the originalest name here."

"Originalest isn't even a _word,_ Seaweed Brain Jr."

"I resent that!"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain _Sr_."

"I believe that the " _originalest_ " name here award goes to me, Repair Boy."

"Shut up, Chris."

"Can we just continue our introductions?" Rachel groaned.

I grinned and shook my head. "You guys are ridiculous."

" _Anyways_ , I'm Calypso… Atlas." A caramel brown haired girl told me.

I arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You don't seem sure."

She nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay…"

"I'm Piper. I don't really like to state my last name, if you're wondering."

I nodded in sympathy. "I understand." And I did. I knew what it was like to have to hide your last name. But let's not get into that right now.

"Jason Grace."

"Percy Jackson."

"Annabeth Chase."

I felt my blood turn to ice. _Annabeth Chase. Percy Jackson._ _Jason Grace._ It's been so long… Was it really him?… No wonder she looked so familiar…. She looked just like… I took a step back.

"Annab-beth Ch-ch-chase?" I stuttered. I paled. No. No, no, no, no, _no_. I cannot have anyone from my past in my present. It just brings back the memories… The memories…

 _NO_. I told myself. _Try not to remember. That'll just bring pain and sorrow…._

I fought to keep my breath even. I zoned out and massaged my temples. The memories were fighting to be known. But I can't let them… I _won't_ let them…

"-eah? Leah? Leah! Are you okay?" Annabeth asked. She placed a warm hand on my arm. I shook it off.

My breath stopped shaking. "I'm fine." I nodded.

"But you-"

"I'm fine, Annabeth."

"No, you're-"

"I said, I'm FINE!" I told her. I guess I put more force into it than I thought, because they _all_ took a step back, even Clarisse.

I sighed. "Ugh, sorry about that. Okay? But I'm fine. I really am. See you guys at lunch." I walked away.

There was no way in hell that they'll know about my past. That's something I intend to take to my grave.

Annabeth's POV

I watched as Leah stalked away. I hadn't noticed earlier, but she was dressed in light blue distressed skinny jeans, black Converse hi-tops, a plain white tank top, and a black and white plaid flannel over it.

"Well we can scratch Apollo. She's definitely a daughter of Ares." Chris muttered.

Clarisse glared at her boyfriend. "That means she's a warrior."

Did Clarisse just give a _stranger_ a _compliment_?

No… that's impossible.

I turned to Chris. "Maybe…" I told him, "Maybe,"

Leah's POV

I barely escaped French class without committing murder. Madame Noelle was really getting on my nerves. I headed towards the cafeteria. That is, until I heard Ava whine from behind me.

"Leah! Wait up! Not everyone can be as fast as you!" She complained.

I ignored the last part, as Ava was the fastest on the track team, but stopped nonetheless.

A word about Ava, before you meet her. She has black hair and crystal blue eyes, and she's by far the nicest and the most hilarious girl you'll _ever_ meet, despite being a die hard trouble maker. Her full name is Ava Lynn Hailey McEvans. She's the identical and polar opposite twin of April McEvans. You can't tell them apart, except for the faint spray of freckles on Ava's face.

Ava loves sports, skate boarding, meat, and pizza. April, on the other hand, loves shopping, dancing, fat free popcorn, and would rather die than taste chicken.

Harmony at it's finest.

"Finally! I caught up to you!" Ava fake wheezed.

I rolled my eyes. "Hey dare, McEvans."

"Heller, Stoner."

"Don't. Call. Me. That." I fake growled.

Ava yawned. "Yeah, whatever. Anyways, I can't sit with you at lunch today."

I tilted my head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Because…?"

She sighed. "Lunch detention."

"What did you- you know what? I don't even want to know." I told her, holding up a hand.

Ava rolled her eyes. "Whatevs. See you at basketball tryouts! Latah, gatah!"

I grinned as she took off. Then I started back for the cafeteria.

I sat down in between Calypso and Rachel. We were all still waiting for Percy and Leo, who had gym on the other side of the school. Rachel poked her (oily) roasted pork sirloin suspiciously with her fork.

"You sure this thing is fully cooked? Doesn't look like it to me." She cast me a glance.

I shrugged. "It hasn't sent anyone to the Emergency Room yet. So I guess its fine. Just never try the mashed potatoes."

Calypso eyed her potatoes warily. "Why?"

I gave her a snarky grin. "Unless you _want_ rabies. That stuff had a… er… _dog_ foaming at the mouth a few weeks after a student fed it to him."

Calypso shoved her tray away. "You're lying."

I laughed. "Just kidding. But seriously, I wouldn't trust that stuff."

Rachel and Calypso nodded.

Rachel played with my hair. "You know, if we combined our hair styles and colors, and our personalities and stuff, we could be Princess Merida from _Brave_."

I thought about it as the rest of the table erupted into laughter. I grinned. "Yeah, you have the hair color, I have the hair length. We both have the wild curls. I love archery. I think you like horseback riding…right," Rachel nodded, "I have the blue eyes, even though it's not the same shade. And I love pastries… and apples… and meat."

We smiled warmly at each other.

"And we're both brave." I told her.

Her smile faded. "What do you mean?"

I pointed to the food. "Do you not see what's on your plate, Miss Dare?"

Rachel chuckled. I swear I heard a sigh of relief coming from Annabeth. As if I didn't know everything already.

She leaned forward. "I saw Percy and Leo on the lunch line. They'll be here in about 5 minutes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay…"

Percy and Leo appeared a few minutes later.

"Let's get this party started!" Leo grinned.

Calypso rolled her eyes and gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek.

I felt a slight tug in my pocket. I could barely feel it, but I know a pick pocketing in action when I feel one. I held my hand out without looking back to see who it was. I already knew. "Give it back, Travis. _Now_."

Travis gasped. "H-how did y-you… What?"

I chuckled. "I know more about pick pocketing than you think, you kleptomaniac. Now give my necklace back, _before I make you_."

Everyone stared at me in shock. Travis grumbled indignantly and handed me my necklace.

My necklace was really a chain with a ring on it. The band on the ring was silver. The gem was like a diamond, but it changed colors. Sometimes it looked like a ruby, or a sapphire, and other times it seemed like an emerald. The colors shifted in the light. That necklace was my most prized possession.

"That's really pretty, Leah." Piper told me.

I gave her a sad smile. "Thanks."

"Where did you get it?" Annabeth asked.

"My mom… gave it to me… a long time ago… before she…" I trailed off and thumbed the ring. I looked down. My eyes welled up with tears.

"Leah? You okay?" Calypso grasped her hands in mine.

I nodded and wiped my tears away. "I'm okay. I just don't like to talk about it…"

Annabeth leaned forward again. "What happened to your mom? Did she disappear?"

I shook my head. I bit my lip and struggled to keep the tears out of my eyes. "She was murdered when I was young," I explained. "I was… sleeping over at a friend's house that night. And in the morning, when I came home… I found her… on my bedroom floor." I whimpered. My voice cracked.

"She was so still… And the night before, you know, before I left, she gave me this," I held up the necklace. "She told me is represents the Colors of Life, forever changing, forever shifting, forever taking a new form. The irony nearly killed me. She told me that life would never really end… that-that even after death, she'd still be there. And then I left, and when I came back to next morning, she was dead." I shook my head. The tears spilled.

Travis gazed at me guiltily. "I'm sorry, Leah. I-I never would've tried t-to-" He apologized.

I forced a smile. "Its fine, you didn't know. No one does… except for my friend. The police never knew who killed her. I was put up for adoption. A few years later, the Stone family came and adopted me. So..."

"What about your dad?" Percy asked.

I flinched without meaning to. Scratching the back of my neck, I shrugged, like the dirty liar that I am. "I never knew him. My mom said that I have his hair, and his love for the sun. My guess is that he took off a few months after I was born. Mom never stopped talking about him. She said he used to call her Sunshine, she loved that nickname…" I smiled. I knew exactly who my father was, but I wasn't going to tell them, not when everything was going well.

"What did your mom look like?" Katie asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's up with all these questions? I feel like I'm being interrogated."

Everyone blushed in embarrassment. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "It's whatever. My mom was half Hawaiian. She had shining dark brown hair and gray eyes. I got the gold flecks from her."

"That's…cool…" Hazel answered. She stared at me. Well, at my face. At my scar.

I was waiting for it to happen. I knew it would, eventually.

Connor was the first one to blurt it out. "What happened to your face," he blushed when he realized his choice of wording, "I-I m-mean…"

I glowered at him. I wonder if it was harsher than I realized, because he shrunk back. "How did I get this scar?"

He nodded and gulped.

"Don't like to talk about it."

"You didn't like to talk about your mom, but you still did." Annabeth argued defensively.

I glared at her.

"Let's just say I ran into some violent people before I got adopted." I growled. Then I stood up and dumped my uneaten lunch in the trash. I stormed out of the cafeteria.

 _They don't need to know anything._ I told myself. _I owe them nothing._

I walked out of the school.

When had my life become so messed up?

 _When your innocence was ripped away from you 14 years ago._ A voice in my mind spoke.

I ignored it. _Go away. Go away. Leave me alone!_

 _Remember the pain. Remember the sorrow. You're not a hero. You're a killer._

I sat down on the curb, hugged my knees, and laid my head on my kneecaps.

 _Charles's death was your fault, Avenger_. The voice rasped.

 _No! He knew what he had to do._ I thought to myself.

 _You are a killer._ _You are a murderer. You belong in Tartarus._ _In the Fields of Punishment._ It chorused.

I cried. His death _was_ my fault. Everything was my fault…

The voice in my head laughed. I felt its presence retreat. But then… I felt myself slipping away.

It was a flashback.

"No… not now! Not where anyone can see or hear me!" I pleaded.

But it was too late. My vision dimmed, my breathing slowed, and everything went black.

Percy's POV

We all watched Leah storm off in stunned silence. She dumped her food in the trash can and ran out of the cafeteria.

"Am I the only one who feels guilty?" Connor asked no one in particular.

"We pushed her too hard. We were so insensitive." Rachel groaned.

Annabeth shook her head. "She's hiding something. I can sense it. She doesn't want us to find out… whatever it is."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "How can you be so sure?"

She stared at me like I'd grown a two more heads. "It's obvious, Percy. No one would get that mad over a simple question."

I shook my head. "A simple _personal_ question. I'm sure if you had a scar on your face for all to see, you wouldn't go around telling people how you got it. And you wouldn't answer right away when someone asked about it."

She thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

"As if, Wise Girl."

"You're impossible."

"You're insufferable."

"Well you're-"

"Yo, Percabeth!" Jason called.

Annabeth and I bumped noses. I guess while we were "arguing", we had gotten closer to each other. I blushed. Usually that meant we were gonna (I'm sorry, _going to_ ) kiss or something. And the last thing I needed was for the whole table minus Piper, who was probably going to be squealing, to be shouting about PDA and then have the whole cafeteria stare at us for all eternity.

"What?"

"What are we going to do about Miss Drama Queen?" Leo asked.

Calypso swatted his arm. "She wasn't being a drama queen. We were just being insensitive, ding bat."

I hid a smile. Calypso had caught on to modern age insults pretty quickly. But then again, when she first met Leo she called him a "charbroiled runt of a boy." So I guess she could verbally hold herself pretty well.

"Something tells me she won't be as warm and welcoming tomorrow as she was today." Chris said.

I nodded.

"I think she's a daughter of Apollo." Annabeth began. We all nodded in agreement.

"She likes archery, basketball, and singing. Her mom told her that she has her father's hair, which is blonde, and his love for the sun. It all adds up. We take her to Camp Half Blood ASAP." Piper finished for her.

"Well what are we going to do? Stuff her in a sack and haul her to Long Island?" Clarisse grunted.

Annabeth shook her head. "For once, I wish a monster would attack. But they won't, sadly."

I stared at her alongside the rest of the table. "You _want_ a monster to attack? Why?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "If a monster attacks, then she'll probably follow us, see it, see us defeat it, and then wonder why in Tartarus she's seeing what she's seeing. Then we can explain that she's a demigod, and we can take her to camp without a problem."

"Ohhh…" Everyone chorused.

"It sounds simple enough, but we all know plans this good _never_ work. Some sort of plot twist will happen and Bam! The monster gets away with Leah trapped in its gurgling maw." Nico snorted.

"So enthusiastic, di Angelo." Rachel muttered.

Nico shrugged.

The bell rang for the end of lunch. We collected our untouched food and went to our next class.

But all I could think about was what Leah said.

 _Let's just say I ran into some violent people before I got adopted.  
_ The thought made me want to throw up.

Someone slashed her across the face when she was at least 4 years old, and at most 7.

I felt a snagging suspicion in my stomach.

Did Leah already know she was a demigod?

Leah's POV

I was back in Florida. My best friend, Kira Matthews, was pulling me along Miami Beach. Her curly golden brown hair was flying in the wind; her light brown skin was pink as her six year old laugh reached out into the warm breeze.

"C'mon Leah! We're going to miss the ice cream truck!" She tugged me, our feet digging into the white sand.

We were dressed in matching coral pink and baby blue one piece's.

I groaned. "But I wanna go into the water, Kira! Ice cream sucks butt!"

Kira smiled. "Mommy says that we can't say that, Leah."

I groaned again. "Well _my_ mommy says that life is too short for stuff like that."

"Did she really say that, Leah?"

"Well…no…"

"Okay, then."

"Whatever, Kira."

Kira laughed. "Let's go! The ice cream man is almost ready to leave."

We arrived at the truck.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the daughters of two of today's most successful artists." The ice cream man grinned.

I saw myself frown. "My mom says that it isn't right for us to brag about her ac-ac-accompli-accomplichmens." I told him.

The ice cream man chuckled. "You mean accomplishments, honey."

I thought for a moment. "Yeah. That's right. Thank you, sir!" I smiled up at him.

"No problem. Now, what flavor?"

"Chocolate chip cookie dough!" Kira squealed.

"Cookies n' cream!" I grinned.

"Coming right up!" The ice cream man nodded. He scooped out the flavors and handed them to us.

"How much?" I asked. I heard Mommy say that a lot.

"It's free for you guys, just because you were so polite and respectful." He answered.

I smiled. "Thank you!" Then I grabbed Kira's hand and pulled her back to our towel.

Then the flashback ended.

I snapped my eyes open. My skin was cold and clammy. I was breathing hard. Then the tears spilled.

"Kira… I miss you." I whispered. I hugged my knees.

"Who's Kira?" A voice asked.

I looked over to see Hazel, she looked very concerned. I wiped my tears away and gave her a sad smile. "Just a friend from a long time ago."

"Was she the same friend that you had a sleep over with that… night?" she asked cautiously, as if waiting for me to blow up.

I nodded, "I haven't seen her in ages. I miss her so much. You guys have the same hair, you know."

Hazel smiled and squeezed my arm. "Well, I doubt I can replace a girl like Kira, but I'll be there for you, Leah."

I flinched at my name. "Yeah, thanks." I told her.

Then she gave my arm a squeeze and went back into the school.

I sighed. If only they knew, if only they all knew.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Annabeth's POV

(Three Days Later)

I sat down in Mr. Blofis's Ancient History (A/N: Yes, I am aware that he teaches English, but I had to have him teach Ancient History to fit the story, calm your balls) class. We'd be studying Greece and Rome this year, so it should be a breeze.

The class was bustling until the bell rang. We all took our seats and waited for him to start talking.

"Okay, students. Instead of having a lesson today, I want to tell you all about what is today. Can someone answer me?"

Percy raised his hand, "Its Wednesday, Paul… I mean Mr. Blowfish…I mean-"

Mr. Blofis rolled his eyes. "Thank you for that startling discovery, Mr. _Jackson_. But what I meant was – what is America celebrating today?"

I saw Leah raise her hand. "Today we're "celebrating" the 14th anniversary of the death of Thalia Troy and disappearance of Aelia Troy, her seven year old daughter. Well, if she's still alive she would be 21, I think…but still."

Mr. Blofis smiled. "Exactly. Thank you, Miss Stone."

Leah nodded. Then she blew a pale blonde curl out of her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Her arms folded over her chest.

"Who's Thalia Troy?" I asked.

I swear I saw Leah stiffen through my peripheral vision.

Mr. Blofis nodded. "Thalia Troy was one of America's most successful actresses and singers. She could play any part, sing any song, she was amazing. That is, until she was murdered. They found her body in her daughter's bedroom the next morning. There were multiple stab wounds, gashes, and cuts. Her arms and ribs were broken. Her daughter had completely disappeared. The police decided that she had been killed with a knife, sword, or some other kind of blade, along with a club of some sort. They never found her daughter, but there are some rumors that she's been sighted in New Jersey."

Leah made a choking sound in the back of her throat. Her face was pale.

"Miss Stone, are you okay?"

Leah could barely nod.

Mr. Blofis raised an eyebrow. "Annabeth, why don't you take her to the nurse?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Blofis." I smiled and stood up.

Leah got up also and followed me. Once we got out into the hallway, she groaned and clutched her temples. I swear to all the gods when I say that her form wavered, like a mirage.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. Leah gave me a weak smile and nodded.

She was wearing jean Capri's, light gray Toms, a white tank top, and a light gray zip up hoodie unzipped that matched her shoes. Her curly blonde hair flowed everywhere.

But then, her form wavered again. One second, she was wearing the normal outfit. The next second, Leah had wavy black hair pulled back in a pony tail, and startling gray eyes with gold flecks. She was wearing black combat boots; silvery camouflage pants, the same tank top, and a black zip up sweater unzipped. Her silver necklace still hang from her neck, but two white gold daggers were strapped to her sides, a quiver of black arrows was latched to her back, and the bow was slung over her shoulder.

She was dressed like a Hunter. She looked like a Hunter. But then again, she didn't.

Then the Hunter-looking-girl was gone in a moment and the real Leah was replaced. Her curly blonde hair was still there.

I sighed in relief. For a second I thought I was hallucinating.

"What?" Leah asked.

I shook my head. "It's just that… for a second there… you looked like… well, someone else."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure _you_ don't need to go to the nurse, Chase?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Stone. Let's just go."

About 20 minutes later, Miss Tam, the nurse had given Leah a dose of Tylenol for her headache and we were walking back to class.

"Here's a picture of Thalia and Aelia Troy before they died." Mr. Blofis was saying when we entered the room.

A picture was on the Smart Board. A lady with gray eyes with gold flecks was holding a little girl with her same eyes. The lady had shining really dark chocolate brown hair and delicate features. She looked Hawaiian, or at least part Hawaiian. A blur of silver was around her neck.

All the demigods in the room locked eyes. An understanding passed between us.

Leah's voice filled my head.

" _It's whatever. My mom was half Hawaiian. She had shining dark brown hair and gray eyes. I got the gold flecks from her."_

The lady in the picture fit the description perfectly.

A little _too_ perfectly…

The little girl she was holding had wavy black hair and the faintest spray of freckles across her rosy cheeks.

 _But that couldn't be Leah. She has dark blue eyes and blonde hair…_ I thought to myself.

Then I remembered when her form flickered in the hallway. The other girl, she had long black hair and gray eyes with gold flecks. And I didn't notice it before, but she had a faint spray of freckles across her cheeks.

I whipped around and stared at Leah, trying to read her. She was ghost white, all the color of her skin had drained away. Her lip quivered and her eyes welled up with tears. She clutched the desk top so hard her knuckles had turned white.

I watched as she looked down at her necklace. She thumbed it and gave it a sad smile.

Then another thought hit me.

" _And in the morning, when I came home… I found her… on my bedroom floor."_ Leah's voice came back to me.

" _They found her body in her daughter's bedroom the next morning."_ Mr. Blofis said.

All the pieces flew together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Leah Stone was Aelia Troy. Leah Stone _is_ Aelia Troy.

But then another thought struck my mind.

 _How will I convince the others?_

The answer came _much_ faster than I thought it would. It happened during free period. Since we all had the same schedule, more or less, we all decided to gather in the rec. room (I have no idea why a school has a rec. room, so don't ask) that was down the hall of the cafeteria.

We all sat around the ping pong table (sound familiar?) and shared stories about funny times at the camps.

Like how once Hazel manipulated the Mist for Dakota to think that he was in the shower, but was really in the middle of the dining hall, right where everyone, especially Reyna, could see him. It was hilarious. Hazel explained that is was revenge.

Then Frank told them the reason why she had revenge of Dakota. He and the sons of Mercury had dyed Hazel's hair a nasty orange, yellow, red color that wouldn't get out for weeks. She earned the nickname, Carrots Sherbet until she could _finally_ wash it out.

The Stolls told about the time they pulled a prank on the Aphrodite cabin a few years ago that was just like the one in that movie, _Parent Trap_ , starring Lindsay Lohan.

Piper looked smug, as if thinking about her bratty second-in-command, Drew Tanaka covered in honey and whipped cream (A/N: This is actually what happened in the movie).

Then we heard a crash from the cafeteria. We all locked eyes and did what most teenage demigods in this era would do. We ran towards the noise.

We burst through the heavy double doors. In the middle of the cafeteria, slithering and smashing furniture was by far the largest monster I have ever seen.

Hazel's POV

I stared at the monster, completely star struck. How did they find us? What happened to the Mist? And what in the name of Rome was _that_?

It was clearly a drakon, but it was unlike any drakon I've ever seen. Its scales were an odd mixture of navy blue and midnight black. White and silver dots speckled its skin, and silver horns protruded from his head. The drakon's tail was spiked with black barbed blades. It had wings, which were the same color as its scales. It's monstrous (ha ha, get it? Monstrous? It's a monster? *crickets* I know it wasn't funny. Children of Pluto rarely are) eyes were plain black, no whites or irises, like a deep void.

It exhaled through its nostrils, puffs of black smoke and fire curled around the room.

The thing was about as thick as a school bus, as long as a limo and its tail was about the size of a sofa.

"What is that?" Katie asked.

None of us answered, because none of us knew.

But, being the ADHD demigods that we are (except Frank, but I think he was going to anyway), we charged.

Right before we struck at the monster, there was a flash of light. My sword grew hot in my hands. Sparks flew. I yelped in pain and dropped it. All around me, my friends (was Clarisse a friend?) were doing the same.

I looked around. "What the…"

"Don't try to kill him unless you know what you're doing." A familiar voice warned me from behind.

We all turned.

Standing in front of us, was Leah Stone. But it wasn't Leah Stone. She sounded like Leah, but she didn't look anything like her.

For one thing, she looked around 20 or 21 years old.

The girl had long wavy black hair pulled back in a messy pony tail. Her intimidating (as in, Annabeth intimidating) gray eyes had gold flecks in them, which reminded me of a thunder cloud with lightning bolts. She was dressed in black steel toed combat boots, silvery camouflage pants, and a white tank top. Two white gold daggers were strapped to her belt, a bow was slung over her shoulder and a quiver of black arrows was strapped to her back. She was holding a strange silver double edged sword that seemed to have a fiery red edge. It was about 3 feet long.

She had the same aura as Leah, but it was clear that she wasn't Leah Stone.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

The girl smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach to her eyes. They weren't cold; they seemed shattered, like she'd seen things that have eternally scarred her. Her x shaped scar seemed to wiggle as she talked.

"You know who I am, Hazel." She answered.

I looked around. Annabeth was staring strangely at her, like she knew who she was, but couldn't decide if it was true or not.

"Leah Stone?" I ventured.

She smiled again. "That's who you know me as. But honestly, that's not my real name. Annabeth, why don't you take a guess?" She turned to the daughter of Min- I mean Athena.

Everyone looked at Annabeth. She gulped.

"Y-you're Aelia T-Troy." She managed out.

A collective gasp filled the now quiet cafeteria. I glanced behind me. The monster was trapped in some sort of fissure of light.

Leah gave her a sideways smile. "I knew you would figure it out, Annabeth. Took a little longer than I thought, but…" She shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do?' "I'm a daughter of Apollo."

Cue Will Solace looking smug about having a celebrity half sister.

"Aelia Troy…" I murmured.

Aelia looked at me. She nodded.

"But… how?" Annabeth asked.

Aelia looked back at her. Her eyes seemed even more shattered than before. "Sometimes… the only way to escape the pain is to leave it behind, even if it's not the wisest decision. I think you can understand, Leo."

Said son of Hephaestus paled. "H-how did you… What?"

"Your mother told me you'd be a great hero. She's proud of you." Aelia smiled warmly at him.

"M-my mom? How…w-wha…b-b-but… you knew her?" Leo asked. His eyes welled up with tears, his joking manner gone.

But Aelia ignored him. She fixed her eyes on the monster that was still trapped in the fissure. She turned back to Leo. "Some things are better left unknown, Valdez."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I have a monster to kill." Aelia turned towards the drakon.

Her eyes turned steely cold. I suddenly felt the urge to run and hide, or at least duck. The fissure shimmered and disappeared, the monster dropped to the floor with a smash.

Aelia smirked. "Hello, old friend. Did you miss me?" She taunted. Then she flew at the drakon.

It roared and swung its tail. But Aelia grabbed hold of it and hoisted herself up. She impaled her sword into its back.

I almost snorted. As if. Everyone knew that a drakon's scales was pretty much indestructible.

But the blade sunk into its scales like it was hot butter. A black liquid gushed out of the drakon.

It roared again, and bucked, trying to throw Aelia off. But surprisingly, she held on. She slashed at the drakon, more of the black substance poured out of its new wounds.

"You seem to have gotten your memories back faster than most of those who are victimized by Avengis." She growled. "Good for you, now I can take them away again."

Avengis? Who was Avengis?

Finally she skillfully jumped off the monster with a back flip and landed on the ground with hardly a sound.

She whipped out her bow and quickly notched a black arrow. She aimed for the drakon's eye.

Aelia's own eyes narrowed.

"Enjoy your stay in Tartarus." She said.

Then the arrow flew. The monster let out one last roar. The temperature in the room dropped about 40 degrees. I felt my blood turn to ice; a chill crept down my spine. I felt cold, really cold. My fingers turned numb around my cavalry sword.

I felt like I was getting frost bite.

Dark thoughts inched into my mind. My heart raced.

I had to get out of there.

Then the drakon exploded in black dust.

The roar still echoed throughout the room, but it was a lot warmer now.

Aelia huffed in relief and sheathed her sword. I watched as it morphed into a chain necklace with a silver ring on it.

 _Her mother's necklace._ I thought. _It's a sword. No wonder she didn't want Travis to take it._

"What was that thing?" Percy asked.

Aelia took out her ponytail. Her wavy black hair tumbled to her lower mid back, but it quickly disappeared, as she had tied it back in a ponytail. "That _thing_ was a Hyperbean drakon. The last of it's kind too. I haven't seen it in years…"

My jaw dropped. "You mean you've seen it before? You've fought it?" I asked.

Aelia chuckled and shook her head. "Nah, a friend of mine killed it. He's the one who quote un-quote "trained" me. But yeah, the last time I saw that drakon, I was 11 years old."

"So…what do we do now?" Hazel asked.

Aelia smiled at her. "You guys should go home, as in Camp Half Blood. I know what the drakon did to you when it died. That thing is evil, and you just got some of the feedback. If you don't rest soon, no doubt you'll have nightmares. I'll cover for you."

Calypso raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Aelia grinned. "A magician never tells her secrets."

Then she turned and ran through the cafeteria. Just before she opened the door, she turned around and winked at us.

"See ya around, heroes." She called.

Then she disappeared.

Rachel laughed. "Okay, she's my new role model. Anyone who can defeat a drakon like that is a total badass. Period."

Clarisse snorted. "So feeling the love over here, Dare."

Rachel chuckled. "Good."

I couldn't wrap my mind around it. It all happened so fast.

"We just met a celebrity's daughter who's been missing for the past 14 years. And she's a demigod. And she can kick butt. And she can… you know what? I'm taking her advice and going home. You guys can stay here if you want." Annabeth said.

Percy strode up to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. "After you, Bird Brain."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go then, Kelp Head."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Piper's POV

(The Next Day)

I woke up, feeling refreshed. For a second I didn't know where I was, and then I realized I was in cabin ten.

I remembered what happened yesterday in the cafeteria. Aelia Troy… daughter of Apollo.

I thought about what she said…

" _Sometimes the only way to escape the pain is to leave it behind, even if it's not the wisest decision. I think you can understand, Leo."_

What did she mean about Leo? Was it because he ran away numerous times? Had she run away a lot of times? What did any of this mean?

I sat up and rubbed my case of bed head. Everyone else was running around getting ready for breakfast. Lacy and Mitchell approached me.

"Hey there, Counselor. How's school?" Mitchell greeted me with a hug.

I smiled. "I'll tell you after my breath doesn't smell like a mouse died in here."

They laughed. I made my way for my bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I showered and got dressed.

"It's… okay so far. The people are really nice, though it's sort of hard trying to keep the girls away from Jason. I think Annabeth and Hazel can say the same." I shrugged. For some reason, I didn't feel comfortable with telling them about Aelia.

They nodded. A conch horn blew, signaling breakfast time.

"Aphrodite, fall in!" I jokingly called. We formed a single file line and marched towards the dining pavilion.

After the war, Chiron and Mr. D said that the Seven could sit together at one table. And that table turned out to be Poseidon's table, incidentally.

I slid in next to Jason and Rachel, who was visiting for the rest of the week. For some reason, her dad told her she didn't have to go to Clarion Academy. She was relieved.

"So, number one on our list, Miss Celebrity." Annabeth said, snagging a muffin from my plate.

"Thief."

"Guilty as charged, ma'am." She answered.

Me, being the mature war veteran that I am, stuck out my tongue at her.

"Guys! Our problem?" Leo interrupted.

Ever since yesterday, he had been joking less and less. His eyes were always sad. No doubt what Aelia had told him had shaken him up.

" _Your mother told me you'd be a great hero. She's proud of you."_

I gave him a reassuring smile. Leo nodded and looked down at his plate of eggs.

" _Some things are better left unknown, Valdez."_

I clenched my fists under the table. I suddenly had the urge to punch Aelia in the face. How could she do that? How could she tell Leo that she knew his mom, and then leave the subject hanging in the air? That's just torture.

"Okay, so what do we tell Chiron? Aelia obviously knows she's a demigod, but something tells me that if she wanted to go to Camp Half Blood she would've done so. Plus, she doesn't have the SPQR tattoo on her forearm, so she hasn't been to Camp Jupiter either." Percy began.

Annabeth nodded in agreement. "She seems like a pretty powerful demigod to me, and there's no way the monsters have ignored her for 21 years. My guess is that she lives somewhere, sort of like a safe house."

We all nodded and muttered things in agreement.

"So that brings us back to where we started. What are we gonna tell Horse Man?" Nico asked.

Percy glanced around nervously. "You're lucky he didn't hear you say that, di Angelo."

The son of Hades shrugged and took another bite out of his pomegranate. I don't know if that was some sort of cruel joke, or if he actually liked them.

Hazel opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a flash of light coming from the center of the pavilion.

All eyes turned to the crew of teenagers that had appeared. None of them looked familiar, except for one girl with black hair.

She looked right at those of us sitting at the Poseidon table.

"Hey there," Aelia said. "Hope we didn't crash the party."

Aelia immediately launched into introductions.

First, there was Chloe Hudson, a 19 year old daughter of Hermes with strawberry blonde hair that was tied back in a high ponytail, mischievous sapphire blue eyes, and a crooked smile. She was really nice, but _really_ sassy. A bow was slung over her shoulder. Her lean body had me guess she was agile. Connor and Travis immediately led her away to pull pranks and steal stuff, and cause other sorts of mayhem.

Next, there was Devin Parker, a 20 year old son of Ares. He had chocolate brown hair, light brown skin, and blue green eyes. The guy was pretty funny, tall, and muscular. He had a tattoo of a double headed axe crossed with a spear over a shield on his bicep.

His little brother, Dylan Parker, was 18 years old. He looked just like Devin, but was an inch shorter, and he had baby blue eyes. Plus, he was a lot more sarcastic than Devin. A sword hung at his belt, and a shield was on his back, so he looked a lot like a hoplite soldier.

Then there was Jessie Knolls, a 17 year old daughter of Hephaestus. She had wild curly dark brown hair that was braided into a fishtail braid, like Leo's and tanned skin from working in the sun. Her dark brown eyes shined with mischief, a lot like Chloe's. She was strongly built, like most children of Hephaestus (I think Leo's an exception when it comes to muscles). She was carrying a sledge hammer over her shoulder (A/N: search up steampunk leo viria on Google, the sledgehammer in the first picture looks a lot like the one Jessie has. Or think of Thor's hammer, but bronze and with a longer handle). Just like Dylan, who turned out to be her boyfriend she was sarcastic, and just as easy going as Aelia.

Noelle Dare was the 14 year old daughter of Iris. She had wavy blonde hair that was tied up in a ponytail, sea green eyes, and was kind and caring. She was pretty funny, and had a muscular build (just like the rest of them). Two Celestial bronze swords were strapped to her back. But her eyes were sad, as if she lost someone important to her, and she still hadn't gotten over it.

Lastly, was Moriah Ramsey, who turned out to be a demi-titan. She was the daughter of Mnesomyne, the Titan goddess of memories. She was 20, had black hair that was braided into a waterfall braid, hazel eyes that sparkled with intelligence, and light brown skin. She had a shield and a spear strapped to her back, and was constantly flicking her wrist, causing hidden Imperial gold combat knives to pop out into her hands. She had the SPQR logo on her forearm, with four lines under it. Moriah had the same aura as Aelia, except she didn't seem as broken or strong as her. It turned out she was just as skillful at pick pocketing as any child of Hermes, because she was twirling Katropis like a pencil when Aelia introduced us. Moriah was really funny, and seemed like someone who could be the best friend ever.

And then there was Aelia, who seemed skilled at everything except for a hammer and spear/shield. She was dressed in black and silver camouflage pants, black steel tipped combat boots, and a silver tank top. Her black hair was braided in a French braid. Her white gold daggers glinted in the sunlight at her sides. I hadn't noticed it before, but one was darker than the other one.

Aelia noticed me staring at her blades. She chuckled. She whipped them out faster than I could blink. "This is Goldfyre," she held up the darker one, "And this is Sunstorm." She gestured to the lighter one.

Annabeth whistled, clearly impressed. "Those are some nice daggers. Can they transform?" she asked,

Aelia nodded. She threw them into the air, the daggers morphed into a pair of sun earrings. "I usually keep them as daggers, 'cause taking your earrings off and throwing them into the air in battle might take a tad too long."

"What about your sword?" Hazel asked.

Aelia's smile died, but she still nodded and took off her necklace. It transformed into the silver sword that had fiery red edges. "This is Avengis. It has a long past… but I won't get into that now. I'm here for a reason. We all are." She gestured to her friends.

"And what reason is that?" Percy asked.

Aelia's smile dropped right off her face even more, if that was possible. "The gods believe that it's time."

"Time for what?" Annabeth asked for elaboration.

Aelia didn't answer and looked down. Moriah rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"The gods think it's time for us to know her past. As in, what _really_ happened the night she disappeared, and how she managed to survive this long without going to camp." She explained.

As if on cue, the Twelve Olympians appeared. None of them looked happy to be there, except for Hera and Apollo.

Hera smiled at us, in return Leo, Percy, Annabeth, and Jason glared back at her. Hera turned to Aelia.

"Aelia Troy. It's time." She said.

Aelia gulped and nodded. "Can we wait… until camp fire?" She asked.

Hera was about to object, but Zeus butted in. "Yes! Of course! We'll watch your past later today!"

Hera glared at her husband. Zeus calmed down, but muttered under his breath, "Let's put off my misery as long as possible."

Aelia sighed in relief and nodded. "Okay, that's good. Um, Dad-"

Apollo grinned. "Lead the way!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, but Aelia smiled and took her fathers hand. Campers gasped in surprise. They both turned red.

Apollo closed his eyes. His form changed. Gone was the tanned surfer-looking dude with blonde hair, in his place was a man with crystal blue eyes (those had stayed the same) and black hair like Aelia's. He smiled at her again.

"That's better. Now, what did you want to say, Aelia?" he asked.

Aelia rolled her eyes and grinned just the same. "Let's _go_ , Father."

"I'm pretty sure I told you to call me Dad."

"Whatever. C'mon, _Father_." She grinned devilishly at Apollo.

Said god groaned and let his daughter tug him away.

Will Solace stared at their backs in jealousy. "Are they always this comfortable with each other?"

Jessie nodded. "She's his favorite kid, always been that way, ever since she was still in her crib." She explained.

I watched as he swallowed his envy. "That's…cool…"

Hermes snorted. "Liar." He turned around and walked away.

All the campers were buzzing.

"I bet her past was awesome…" one whispered to another.

"I wonder if she has a boyfriend…" A son of Ares whispered to his brother.

Dylan and Devin chuckled at that last one.

"Dude, do you have a death wish?" Devin asked.

The son of Ares raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

Dylan started to laugh. "The last guy who tried to ask Aelia out left with a broken jaw. She nearly cut out his tongue, but Ma-"

Jessie kicked him in the shin. Dylan blushed and stuttered. "I m-mean her _boyfriend_ stopped her. I'm telling you, Aelia _does not_ appreciate admirers, and will probably murder you in your sleep if you try to do otherwise."

The son of Ares paled. "Thanks for the warning, bro."

Devin and Dylan nodded in unison. "Just trying to save your life."

Then they walked away as a group, laughing and talking about things that had happened in the past.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

No One's POV

It was finally campfire. The Apollo cabin had whizzed through the songs. Now everyone was waiting patiently for the show to start. The Olympians, plus Hades, Persephone, and Hestia were sitting in the front row. Aelia and her friends were seated behind them. Aelia was pale and was fidgeting with Goldfyre. She had left her bow and arrow in the Apollo cabin, but her necklace still dangled from her neck, as always. Moriah leaned over Dylan and squeezed her hand.

As the daughter of memories, Moriah knew all about her best friend's past, just by looking into her eyes or touching her. She understood what it would be like for her, having to watch everything all over again, having to see that pain and anguish.

Aelia gave her a grateful smile and squeezed back. She mouthed a quick thanks and turned back to the front. Chiron trotted into the pavilion and took a seat.

Seeing that everyone was present, Hera stood up. "Welcome, heroes. Tonight, we gather to witness the past of Aelia Troy, daughter of Apollo. She has been hidden for years, but now, the time has come for her to come into the light." Her lip curled into a smile at the cheesy pun. "In order to do so, you need to know everything that has happened since the day she entered the world. Some of this, Aelia doesn't remember, others, she can never forget. Please be quiet, and please be patient. Interruptions will result in being turned into a cow. And now, I present to you, Aelia's past."

Hera clapped her hands and a big screen appeared. The campfire dimmed, the campers hushed and gazed at the screen. Then the first memory played.

 **Memory #1**

 **The screen showed a dark room. It was a baby nursery, by the looks of it. The camera zoomed in on the crib. Inside was a baby girl, fast asleep. She had a mop of wavy black hair. Suddenly there was a flash of light. The baby's eyes snapped opened. They were a beautiful gray, with gold flecks that hugged the pupil's.**

 **She opened her mouth and yawned. The baby girl waved her tiny fists and grinned an toothless grin.**

 **A man with black hair and blue eyes stood over her. It was clearly Apollo, because his teeth were a blinding white.**

 **He stooped over and lifted the baby out of her crib. "Hey there, Sun Drop."**

 **The baby flashed him another grin. She yawned again. Apollo hugged his daughter to him. The baby rested her head on his shoulder and lovingly wilted in his arms.**

 **She puffed out breaths against his neck. Apollo stroked her hair and gave her a warm smile.**

" **You're way too cute, you know that?" He whispered.**

 **Aelia just smiled slightly in response. Her gray eyes glazed over his neck, as if inspecting a better place to rest her head.**

 **Apollo smiled sadly at his daughter. "You're future… it's going to be a lot tougher than most heroes, kiddo, I can guarantee that. But you're strong, just like your mom." Apollo smiled at the thought of Thalia Troy.**

" **I can only give you this, but it'll only reduce your problems slightly." Apollo sighed. His hands glowed bright. Aelia tensed, but became accustomed to the warmth.**

 **The light died. "There, now you have powers over light. I rarely bless my kids with this, Aelia, but I you're different."**

 **Aelia giggled and waved her hands. She grabbed onto her father's nose and pulled.**

 **Apollo yelped and took her hand off. With his free hand, he rubbed his nose. "Definitely a strong one."**

 **Thunder rumbled in the distance. Apollo muttered a curse under his breath.**

" **I can't stay for long, or Dad will have my head. He's never liked me, but I have a feeling if he knew I visited you…" Apollo shuddered.**

 **He set Aelia down. Aelia looked up at her father, her eyes wide. She frowned and reached for him.**

 **Apollo sighed apologetically. "Sorry, Sun Drop, but I can't stay for long. But remember, no matter what happens, I love you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.**

 **Then with a flash, he disappeared. Aelia's lip trembled and she quietly cried.**

" **Da…ddy… Daddy…" She murmured as tears fell onto her rosy cheeks. Then she finally laid her head down, and fell asleep.**

Everyone stared at Apollo. His children glared with envy at Aelia, who fidgeted under their murderous stares. But Zeus exploded.

"You…VISITED her? Against my orders? Apollo! That was the last straw!" Zeus glowered at his son. There was a clap of thunder and lighting flashed across the sky. It descended, aimed for the God of the Sun. But then, it was quickly directed away. The lighting incinerated a nearby tree.

Everyone gasped and stared at the figure that had defended Apollo.

It was Aelia, her sword, Avengis was drawn. The usually silver sword was now fiery red, just like the edge. She glared at the King of the Gods, anger rolling off of her with such force that every camper quickly looked away. Her eyes were as dark as thunder clouds as they swirled like a hurricane; the gold flecks flashed and glinted murderously like lightning.

"What's done is _done_ , Zeus. No need to punish him for something that happened over twenty years ago. You know what Avengis can do, and something tells me you don't want to feel the horrors of the River Phlegethon. Now, leave my father _alone_ before I run you through with my sword. And that is something I won't hesitate to do. Whether you're evil or not." She growled. Strangely, her voice was calm and cold, but there was an undertone to it. Something told the campers that Aelia wasn't lying. She wasn't afraid to kill the Lord of the Sky. They all shuddered. But Zeus wouldn't back down that easily.

He glared at his granddaughter. "You _dare_ defy me, Aelia Troy? Perhaps a taste of my lightning bolt will shock you into your senses."

Aelia stuck up her chin defiantly. "Do it, I dare you. Put me out of my misery, end my horrible life. I couldn't care less if you killed me, you'd be doing me a favor. But if you lay a finger on anyone I care about, I'll personally send you to Tartarus, with no regrets. And believe me when I say that I won't give you another thought while you're rotting down in the Pit."

Zeus glared, but said nothing.

Aelia sheathed her sword and stalked back to her seat, her eyes blazing. Apollo stared at his daughter in amazement.

 _Thank you_ , he mouthed to her. Aelia nodded and clenched her jaw, her eyes set on the screen, her expression emotionless.

Everyone was shocked into silence. Aelia Troy, a mere demigod, had stood up to Zeus, and _won_.

Aelia rolled her eyes, her easygoing manner had vanished. She gestured to Hera, "Please, can you continue? I really don't want to be sitting here until I shrivel up and die."

Hera nodded, and the next major memory began to play.

 **Memory #2**

 **The screen showed Aelia when she was about 6 or 7 years old. Her black hair was tied back into a waterfall braid, and she was holding her mother's hand.**

 **Thalia Troy was even prettier in person than in a picture. Her gray eyes and gold flecks sparkled with kindness and intelligence. Her bow-like pink lips were stretched into a loving smile. Her dark brown hair was in a top knot and she pulled her daughter away from the crowds of paparazzi as they navigated through Miami, Florida. They went inside a bakery.**

 **Little Aelia smiled. "Mommy, when is Auntie Beryl coming?"**

 **Thalia Troy gazed down at her daughter. "Any minute, Sun Drop,"**

 **As if on cue, the door to the bakery opened. And a lady with teased blonde hair and blue eyes walked in, carrying a two year old baby boy with a fresh scar on his lip. A girl of about 7 or 8 with black hair like Aelia's and blue eyes like the lady stalked behind them. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at the lady's back.**

Jason gasped and stared at the back of Aelia's head. Aelia knew him and Thalia before Thals ran away? But how? Was Thalia named after Thalia Troy, who was clearly close to Beryl Grace?

 **Then her eyes fell on Aelia and she lit up like a Christmas tree. "Aelia!" she cried as she surged forward, her arms outstretched.**

" **Thalia!" Aelia shrieked. They engulfed each other in a hug and babbled aimlessly to each other.**

" **What happened to Jason's mouth?" Aelia asked.**

 **Thalia hid a smug smile. "He tried to eat a stapler. Mom got so worried, but I bet it was an act."**

 **Aelia's smile melted. "What do you mean?"**

 **Thalia fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone…."**

 **Aelia opened her mouth, but was interrupted by a wail.**

" **Ayywea! Tawea!" Jason screeched. He toddled over to the two girls.**

" **Hi Jason! What happened to your lip?" Aelia asked.**

 **Jason touched his mouth. "I try to eat something pointy. It was sharp. It was bad." He shook his head.**

The demigods in the amphitheater laughed. Jason blushed. He put off the disturbing thoughts about his past.

 **Aelia laughed. "Is it better now?" she asked,**

 **Jason laughed and smiled brightly. "Yes!"**

 **Thalia smiled and tugged Aelia away, "Come on, Aelia, I need to show you something. I saw a man and a lady kissing in the bushes!"**

 **Aelia giggled. "Ew."**

" **I know!"**

 **Memory #3**

 **The screen showed Thalia Troy and Aelia sitting on the living room couch. Thalia was brushing her hair and singing a song.**

 **It sounded like a foreign language, but it was definitely beautiful. It also sounded a lot like** _ **Hanging Tree**_ **from the** _ **Mocking Jay: Part One.**_

" **Until we meet again..." Thalia finished.**

 **Aelia smiled. "Thank you, Mommy."**

" **Its okay, Leiko." Thalia Troy kissed the top of her head. Her phone rang.**

" **Hello? Beryl? What's wrong?" Thalia paused. Her eyes widened. "What do you mean she ran away? Thalia wouldn't do that!"**

 **Aelia gasped.**

" **What about Jason, is he okay?" Thalia asked.**

 **She narrowed her eyes. "Beryl, I trust you, but what do you mean Jason disappeared? I'm pretty sure Thalia wouldn't run off with a toddler."**

 **Thalia Troy paused again. "Beryl, Beryl…listen to me. Have you been drinking again? Beryl? Beryl! Calm down, and** _ **listen to me**_ **. Take some Ibuprofen or something, and drink some water. Now I want you to go to bed for the rest of the day. You've had enough alcohol for today."**

 **Thalia paused and nodded. "Okay, I'll see you next week at the movie premiere. M'kay, bye." Then she snapped her phone shut.**

" **Mommy?" Aelia asked,**

" **Yes, Leiko?" Thalia answered.**

" **Where's Thalia? What happened to her? And what's wrong with Jason?" She answered.**

 **Thalia Troy was silent for a five second count. "Thalia is going to be away for a while, baby girl. And Jason… is going to be gone for a long time too."**

" **Will we ever see them again?"**

" **You will see them again, one day, I can tell you that."**

Annabeth noticed how the mother said that Aelia would see them, but said nothing about herself.

 **Aelia seemed to ponder that. "Mommy, is Auntie Beryl crazy?"**

Jason flinched. Piper, Annabeth, and Leo gave him a sad smile. He forced a smile back at them and turned back to the screen, but his stomach felt like lead.

 **Thalia Troy shook her head and chuckled. "Aelia Leiko Troy, that was** _ **rude**_ **."**

 **Aelia blushed. "Sorry, Mommy."**

 **Thalia nodded and stroked her daughter's hair. "Beryl isn't crazy… she just uses alcohol to solve her problems, and she shouldn't do that."**

 **Aelia nodded. "Okay. I love you, Mommy."**

 **Thalia smiled warmly at her daughter and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Sun Drop. Never forget it."**

 **Aelia smiled. "Mom… what was Dad like?"**

 **Thalia's smile grew. "He was kind, Leiko. You have his hair, and his love for the sun. He was kind, and funny too. He called me Sunshine a lot, but I didn't mind."**

" **What happened to him?"**

" **He had to go away. His dad didn't like us being together, so he had to go. But he's still alive, somewhere. I still love him… but it's okay."**

 **Aelia nodded.**

Apollo smiled sadly at Thalia Troy. "I love you too." He murmured sadly. Artemis stared at her twin in shock. Did he just say that?

" **I want a waterfall braid, please!" She asked her mother.**

" **Waterfall braid coming right up."**

Everyone stared at Aelia in silence. She had her head in her hands, and she was sniffling. Moriah and Noelle rubbed her back.

"Shh, shh, I know it's hard." Moriah soothingly whispered.

"I miss her so…much… Why are the Fates so cruel?" Aelia whimpered.

"Aelia, don't talk like that. All of us have given sacrifices. You remember Noah? And Mark? And Leana?" Noelle whispered to her.

Aelia nodded. "Mark and Leana practically raised me… why did they have to die, too? It's like everyone I care about has to die on me!"

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, _hey_! Who says I'm gonna die? I die on my _own_ terms. I don't care what those yarn knitting ladies with the huge scissors say, but I'm not gonna die until I say so." Dylan squeezed her shoulder.

Jessie whacked her boyfriend in the back of the head. "Don't give her false hope. We all now the Fates control everything that we do. Someone wise once told me that, _"Giving someone false hope, is worse than lying."_ " Jessie looked over at Aelia.

Aelia gave her a small smile and wiped her tears. "You know, that does sound familiar."

"Oh, really? I wonder where that came from!" Devin smiled.

"Shut up, Parker." Aelia grumbled.

Her friends cheered.

" _That's_ the Aelia I know!" Moriah laughed. She wrapped her friend in a warm hug. Aelia returned the favor.

She finally realized that the whole camp was watching their little fluff moment. Aelia blushed and turned back to Hera, whose eyebrow was arched.

"Please, continue."

 **Memory #4**

 **The screen showed Aelia in her room, sitting on her bed, reading a book. Her black hair curtained her face from sight, but anyone could guess that her eyebrows were pinched in frustration.**

"Oh no!" Aelia gasped quietly. Her tears fell again. "Not this…"

Only Moriah knew what she was talking about. She shushed her friend and rubbed circles on her back. She nodded at Hera to continue. Moriah sighed and thought to herself, _It's only memory four and already she's cried twice, got angry, and had an emotional breakdown. I don't know if she can survive this._

" **Black Beauty was sad about Ginger…but happy that she was taken out of… her miersy…wait… misyre…no… misery," Aelia stumbled over the lines.**

" **Ugh! This is too hard! Stupid dyslexia." She huffed in agitation and chucked her book across her bedroom. The book hit a wall and tumbled to the floor.**

 **Aelia flopped backwards on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She sighed and counted the glow-in-the-dark stick on stars, moons, and suns on her ceiling.**

" **I wish Kira was here." Aelia mumbled. She rolled over on her stomach and picked up a picture of a girl and Aelia, arms around each other's necks, smiling brightly, a white beach adorned with palmetto trees behind them.**

 **The girl had light brown skin and curly golden cinnamon toast brown hair, much like Hazel's. She had hazel eyes and rosy cheeks, just like Aelia's. They were wearing matching coral pink and baby blue swimsuits, and their hair was everywhere, most likely flying in the wind.**

 **Aelia smiled. She thumbed the picture. "I miss you, Kira." She whispered quietly.**

 **A crash was heard from downstairs. Aelia sat up quickly.**

" **Mom?" She called.**

 **No answer.**

 **Aelia tried again. "Mom? Mom!"**

 **Thalia Troy didn't respond.**

" **Mommy!" Aelia cried. She waited.**

 **Thudding footsteps were heard running down the hall. Thalia Troy burst into the room. Her eyes were wide. Her arms and face were covered in scratches.**

" **Thank the gods you're all right!" She sighed in relief.**

Annabeth wasn't the only one who noticed that Thalia Troy had said 'Thank the gods' instead of the usual 'Thank God.' That raised many eyebrows.

" **Mom? What's wrong?" Aelia asked, her eyebrows were pinched in concern.**

 **Thalia Troy shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now, Aelia. I need you to do something for me, okay?"**

 **Aelia slowly nodded.**

" **I need you to go to your closet, and go through the trap door that leads to the basement. I want you to leave through the side door and run. Don't look back, just run, do you understand?" She asked.**

 **Aelia stood there, shocked. "What? What do you mean? What happened?"**

 **Thalia Troy got down on her knees and knelt before her daughter. She grasped her hands and looked deep into her eyes. "Trust me, baby girl. Can you do that for me? Do you promise?" She pleaded.**

 **Aelia nodded her head, even though it was clear that she didn't understand. "I-I promise."**

 **Thalia nodded and pulled her into the tightest hug. She blinked back tears. Then she stood up and pushed her daughter into the closet.**

 **Another crash sounded from downstairs. It sounded like a door being bashed in. Thalia frantically looked behind her.**

" **I'll be right behind you, okay?" She promised.**

 **Aelia nodded wildly. Footsteps were thundering up the stairs.**

" **I love you, Sun Drop." Thalia kissed her forehead.**

 **She closed the closet door.**

 **Then the bedroom door exploded.**

 **Aelia watched through the crack petrified at the three figures that had crowded themselves into her bedroom.**

 **They were all at most 10 feet tall, and a single eye protruded from their foreheads.**

" **WHERE IS SHE?" The one in front shouted.**

 **Thalia Troy threw her necklace in the air. It transformed into a silver double edged blade with fiery red edges.**

Several campers gasped, remembering Aelia's sword. It had belonged to her mother.

 **Thalia smirked, but her fear was clear in her eyes. "She's gone! You'll never find her!"**

 **The Cyclops roared. The one in front, the one with a red eye, smiled down cruelly at Thalia Troy. "Then I guess we'll torture it out of you."**

 **Thalia Troy gripped her sword hilt. "You'll never get what you want. You can kill me if you want to, but I don't care."**

 **Aelia was as still as a statue, not daring to make a sound.**

 **The Cyclopes laughed. "Gladly."**

 **Thalia flew at the monsters. They parried her attacks, but she still held through. She tucked, rolled, slashed, and tried to hack at them, but it was no use. Thalia Troy was no match for three Cyclopes at once.**

 **The red eyed one swung his club over Thalia's head. She crumpled to the floor and cried out in pain. When she stumbled up weakly, her arm hung at a distorted angle. It was her sword hand. A knot was forming on her forehead. Her nose was bloody, and her lips were cut.**

 **They grinned devilishly at her. Another swing was rewarded to her rib cage. A sickening snap filled the room. Thalia Troy sank to her knees and began to cough up blood. More of the red liquid was trickling down her sides. She was paling fast.**

" **Now, why don't I ask you again? Where. Is. Your. Daughter?" The red eyed one snarled.**

 **Thalia Troy gripped her sword in her other hand. She stared down at it, and then back at the Cyclops. She looked down at it again and smiled. She knew this was the end. She looked up, stared it dead in the eye and smiled. She knew what she had to do.**

" **She's safe." Was all she could croak. Then Thalia Troy thrust the blade into her chest. She wailed in pain and fell over.**

 **The Red Eyed one roared in disgust. Thalia Troy smiled and closed her eyes. The Red Eyed Cyclops kicked Thalia away.**

" **Search the house. Leave no stone unturned. I can sense that demigod! She's still here!" It growled. The other two Cyclopes nodded and left the room.**

 **The Red Eyed one tore apart the room, and did not step over the broken body of Thalia Troy. She grunted in pain, but otherwise said nothing. Her face was gradually getting paler. Aelia felt her eyes sting with tears.**

 **The Cyclops spat on her is disgust and trampled over her body. He tore apart the bedroom, ripping pictures off the walls, flinging clothes out of the dressers, and tearing photos in half.**

 **Then his eyes fell on the closet. Aelia stepped back in fear. Her lower lip trembled. She tripped and fell on her butt.**

"No," Aelia fiercely whispered, "No. _No._ " Her voice wobbled. She had hugged her knees to her chest. She shook violently. Moriah shushed her and rubbed her back. It pained her to see her best friend go through this kind of anguish all over again.

 **The red eyed Cyclops trudged towards the closet. His red eye glinted, he licked his lips.**

 **The closet door swung open. He stared right at Aelia, a smirk plastered on his face.**

" **Well, well, well, if it isn't Aelia Troy." He sneered.**

 **He grabbed her around the neck. Aelia kicked and struggled, but the Cyclops held fast. He just tightened his grip on her and dragged her across the room.**

 **Aelia's eyes landed on her mother. Tears welled up.**

" **Mom?" She managed to croak out.**

 **Thalia Troy did not answer.**

 **Aelia looked back at the monster. Rage flowed through her, giving her new strength. Her gray eyes melted into a solid gold, the same shade as her flecks. They turned glassy with anger.**

" **You killed her…" She muttered.**

" **Hmm? Oh yes. I did. And that's what I'll do to you if you don't be quiet, reward or no." The Cyclops grunted.**

 **Aelia ignored him. Her face turned red.**

" **You…** _ **killed**_ **my mother…" She said, a little louder this time.**

 **The Cyclops rolled his eye but didn't respond.**

" **YOU KILLED HER!" Aelia screamed.**

 **She started to glow. Her skin turned bright and golden. The Cyclops yelped and dropped her. His thick hands were scorched and steaming. But Aelia kept on burning.**

 **She picked up her mother's fallen sword. Even though it was half her size, she held it as if it were a toothpick. She started towards the monster.**

 **She spoke again, but this time, her voice seemed more mature somehow, as if her stripping away her innocence had stripped away her childlike manner.**

" _ **No one**_ **harms my mom and lives to tell the tale." She glowered.**

Many campers thought back to when Aelia had defended Apollo. Zeus just kept his eyes on the screen, very aware of the many campers who were looking back and forth between him and his granddaughter.

 **Aelia rammed her sword hilt deep into the Cyclops's gut. He roared. Then his skin began to steam. It turned very red and bubbled. It began to turn from very red to fiery red, like lava.**

 _"Something tells me you don't want to feel the horrors of the River Phlegethon."_ Annabeth recalled. She was frantically trying to put the pieces together.

 **Slowly, the monster withered away, until there was nothing left of him except for a pile of ashes.**

 **Aelia dropped the sword and ran to her mom. Thalia was barely breathing. Her face was chalky, and her lips were stained red with blood. She coughed. More blood trickled out her mouth.**

" **Mom?" Aelia whispered, her voice shook.**

" **I told you to run, Leiko." Thalia scolded.**

 **Aelia smiled and held her mother's hand to her cheek. "I'm sorry…it's just… I couldn't leave you, and I didn't understand… I wanted to understand… What was that thing?"**

" **That was a Cyclops, baby girl. Now that you know about them, more of them will come for you. You're not safe here."**

" **But-"**

" **Shh," Thalia weakly pressed a finger to her daughter's lips. Her eyes seemed miles away. "I can hear your Grandpa Akai. It's time for me to go, Leiko."**

" **I love you, Mommy." Aelia whispered. Her tears ran down her cheeks.**

" **I love you too, Little Flower. But it's time for you to go leave. You must live. Take my sword." Thalia smiled warmly, despite her state.**

" **Your sword…" Aelia looked back at the silver sword. She nodded.**

" **I can see him… See…." Thalia Troy did not speak again.**

 **Aelia quietly sobbed as she finally closed her mother's eyes. Then she started to sing the song that Thalia sang to her when she brushed her hair.**

 **Aelia brushed the hair out of her mother's eyes.**

" _ **Aloha `oe`olu `oe**_

 _ **E ke onaona noho i ka lipo**_

 **One fond embrace**

 _ **A ha`i a`e au**_

 **Until we meet again." she finished.**

 **Stray tears dropped onto her pale, lifeless face.**

 **Aelia stood up. The other two Cyclops had disappeared. But that was fine.**

 **Aelia quickly packed her things. She salvaged the picture of her and Kira, and another picture of her and her mother. She slipped on some jeans, an oversized hoodie, and sneakers. She packed extra clothes and food in a backpack. She picked up the sword and threw it into the air, just like her mother had done. It turned back into a necklace. She latched it on her neck.**

 **Aelia walked out the back door. She glanced back at the house and knew she wouldn't live there ever again. She sighed sadly, remembering all the good times she had there.**

 **Aelia turned back around and stared at the full moon. A balmy night breeze whistled in the trees and ruffled the leaves.**

" **I don't know who you are, Cyclops, but if I ever meet you again, I'll have my revenge." Aelia promised into the night wind. "I'll make you regret you killed my mom."**

 **Then she slipped away into the shadows.**

Everyone in the amphitheater was silent. They were shocked, and immediately felt bad for Aelia, who was now shaking uncontrollably.

Moriah stood up, causing several pairs of eyes to fall on her. She hauled Aelia up by the arm. Then she pulled her into a hug. "C'mon, let's go make you some hot chocolate."

Aelia barely heard her, she was sniffling like crazy, and nearly collapsed, but Devin stood up and carried her bridal style to the Big House, which wasn't hard, since Aelia was actually quite petite.

Annabeth had just realized that her second-in-command, Malcolm Dean (A/N: I had no idea what Malcolm's last name was, so I made one up.), was MIA. She turned to one of her siblings, Courtney.

"Where's Malcolm?" She whispered.

Courtney shook her head. "No one knows, he went on a mission for Chiron, but no one knows exactly where he went."

Annabeth frowned a little, but nodded. The wars were over, so not that many monsters had decided to stick around for some demigod chow.

Moriah and Devin came back, looking a bit dejected. Hera raised an eyebrow, her question quite obvious.

"She wants some time to be alone. She _needs_ some time to be alone. No one can see that all over again, and leave unscathed. Aelia said you guys can continue without her." Moriah answered.

Hera nodded and clapped her hands. Once again the amphitheater was silent. The next memory began to play.

 **Memory #5**

 **The memory was sort of like a recap. It showed what Aelia did day and night. One scene showed her pick pocketing a man's wallet without him noticing, so she could buy something to eat. Another showed her fighting off a pack of wild harpies. She was disturbingly skilled with her sword. Yet another scene showed her camping out in an alley in North Carolina.**

Annabeth couldn't wrap her mind around it. Aelia Troy, a mere 7 year old at the time, had moved across from Florida to North Carolina. How did she do it? Where was she headed? New York?

 **Aelia's hair was a matted rats' nest. The new scar on her cheek from the pack of harpies didn't make her look any better. Her eyes were no longer cheerful, her innocence was gone. They seemed like shattered glass that was hastily put back together. Her mother was dead. She was slaughtered right before her very eyes. She blinked back tears and concentrated.**

" **C'mon… how did I do it?" She asked, trying to channel the same powers she did back in her bedroom.**

" **C'mon Aelia…it's been six months…urgh! Why is it so hard?" She threw her hands in the air in desperation.**

 **Suddenly, there was a low chilling growl from the opposite end of the alley. Aelia suspiciously looked up. Her eyes narrowed. With a flash, her sword was in her hand. It was a Celestial bronze sword, her mother's blade still hang concealed around her neck.**

 **The growl resonated across the alley. Aelia nearly buckled, but she stood her ground. She inched towards the growl.**

Annabeth looked over and noticed that her boyfriend was pale, _very_ pale. Annabeth took his hand. "You okay?" She quietly whispered.

Percy shook his head. "That growl… it sounds just like… the night I was claimed…the creek…" That was all he could manage. His face was chalky.

Annabeth's eyes got as wide as saucers. The hellhound. That's what was in the alley. Her heart ached for Aelia. Why _did_ the Fates have to be so cruel to her?

 **The growling got closer. Aelia gripped her sword. And suddenly, the thing lunged. It seemed like it was night itself, with blood red eyes. Aelia screamed as it crashed into her. It slashed its claws across her chest. Aelia hissed in pain. Somehow, she managed to escape the hellhound's grasp. She was desperately trying to pinpoint it, but it was hard, as the hellhound blended in with the darkness of the alley. All she could see were its eyes, but when it was turned away from her, she was hopeless.**

 **Aelia swung her sword in a wide arc. "Step back! I'm not afraid of you!" But you could hear her fear trembling in her voice.**

 **Suddenly, there was a** _ **thwack!**_ **A cluster of black arrows sprouted from the hellhound's neck. It crumbled to the pavement and sunk through the ground as a shadow.**

 **Aelia, finally registering the pain, collapsed. Her breaths were ragged.**

 **She forced herself not to look down on her bloody torso. The night wind whipped through her clothing. Suddenly, three figures leapt off a building. They tucked and rolled, like the Romans did when they jumped off of eagles.**

 **It was a young man, who looked around 17 or 18, a woman who looked around the same age, and a boy who looked around 7.**

 **The man had midnight black hair like Aelia's and sea blue eyes. He was holding a black bow and a quiver of black arrows were slung over his shoulder. The lady had blonde hair and blue green eyes. Two double edged swords were strapped on her back. The boy, who looked strangely familiar to Annabeth, had blonde hair and gray eyes. He was clutching a bronze knife, similar to Annabeth's old one.**

 **Aelia could barely sit up. Her shirt was stained red, and more blood was gushing through. The lady knelt in front of her.**

 **Aelia, despite her condition, scooted backwards and peered at her suspiciously through narrowed eyes. "Who are you?" She demanded.**

 **The boy in the back scoffed and rolled his eyes. The man shot him a look, and the woman chuckled.**

" **I'm here to help you." She smiled gently at Aelia.**

 **Aelia still didn't relax. "I said who are you, not why you're here. Are you a monster? 'Because I could've handled that hellhound on my own." She protested. Her hand instantly flew to her sword. Her knuckles turned white on the hilt.**

 **The woman frowned, as if not prepared to have Aelia put up a fight. "If you must know-"**

" **Yes, I must know." Aelia interjected.**

 **The boy in the back groaned. "Just let her finish."**

" **My name is Leana McLean." The woman said.**

 **Aelia nodded slowly. "Are you a monster? Why did you help me?"**

 **The man stepped forward. "No, we aren't monsters. And we didn't plan to meet you. We were trailing that hellhound back there and it lead us to this alley. What's your name?"**

 **Aelia mumbled something inaudible.**

" **I'm sorry?" Leana asked.**

" **Aelia. I'm Aelia Troy." Aelia snapped.**

 **They all were taken aback. "Y-you're Aelia Troy? I thought you disappeared." The boy marveled.**

 **Aelia shook her head. "I ran away."**

" **Why?" Leana asked.**

 **Aelia looked down. "My mom wanted me to. Mom told me it wasn't safe for me to live at home…" She trailed off and stared into the distance.**

" **Where's your family?" The boy asked.**

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. He _really_ sounded familiar. The way he formed his words, how he sounded, the way he moved his hands while he talked. She was determined to find out who he was before he introduced himself.

 **Aelia stared back at him with those shattered eyes. The boy took a step back. "I don't have one… The Cyclops killed my mom…"**

 **Leana knelt in front of her again. This time, Aelia didn't scoot away. She stared right into Leana's eyes.**

" **We'll be your family. We'll tell you everything that you need to know." The man explained.**

" **Why should I trust you? Why are you being so nice to me?" Aelia pestered.**

" **Not all of us." The boy grumbled. The man glared at him.**

" **Because we're like you." Leana explained.**

" **What do you mean?" Aelia asked.**

" **Oh come on! How slow can someone be?" The boy asked, clearly exasperated. The man clenched his jaw.**

" **As far as I'm concerned, you didn't catch on fast when you first came to live with us." Leana told the little boy.**

 **He just tightened his eyes and stared ahead, clearly miffed.**

" **What we mean is that the monsters come after us too. We fight them to survive, just like you do. You can come live with us." The man explained.**

 **Aelia seemed to ponder it. "Okay."**

 **The man smiled, his sea blue eyes twinkling. "I'm Mark Mason, by the way."**

 **Aelia turned to the boy. He stared back at her.**

" **Well?" She asked,**

" **Well what?" He shot back.**

" **What's your name?"**

" **Why do I need to tell you?"**

" **Guess I'll call you Blondie then." Aelia smirked, but her eyes showed that she was getting annoyed.**

The campers who had met Aelia when she was posing as Leah Stone at Goode high shuddered. She had broken a boy's wrist from just annoyance. They saw what she done in fury to the Cyclops. _Never_ get Aelia Troy angry, unless you want a knife up your-

 **The boy looked ready to slap her, but he restrained himself. He straightened. "My name is-"**

"Chiron? I'm back! I couldn't find you, so I decided to- Woah!" A male voice interrupted the "movie."

All eyes turned to a young man, around 21 or 22, standing near the entrance of the amphitheater. He had blonde hair, gray eyes, and tanned skin. He was wearing a gray button down shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, khaki's, and gray Vans.

"Malcolm!" Annabeth cried. She ran towards her older brother and gave him a hug. He seemed surprised, as everyone else was. Annabeth Chase wasn't exactly known for showing public affection to anyone other than Percy, Thalia, and the other six demigods.

"Hey! So, what are you guys doing here?" He asked. Before Annabeth could answer, he noticed the crowd sitting before him, staring at him.

Then he noticed Aelia's friends. His jaw dropped.

"Oh no…" He muttered. He knew them. And he knew why they were all here. Judging by the screen that was in the center, they were watching Aelia's memories.

Question: Where was Aelia?

Answer: Coming in right now.

"Guys! I told you not to wait for me!" Aelia complained as she walked back into the amphitheater.

She didn't notice Malcolm Dean standing in the middle, staring at her over his half little sisters head.

"Umm… Aelia…" Moriah gestured to the blond in the center of the amphitheater.

"I mean seriously! I told you I was fine!" She ignored Moriah.

"Aelia…" Dylan tried.

"How stubborn can you people be? And I thought Mal-"

" _AELIA!_ " Jessie practically screamed.

"What?" Aelia asked, exasperated from being interrupted. She raised an eyebrow when Jessie said nothing. Then she noticed that Jessie was pointing towards the center of amphitheater.

Aelia turned. Her eyes widened.

"Mal-Malcolm?" She asked, astonished as she inched towards him. Her voice shook; she covered her mouth with her hand, but her eyes shined.

"Ae-Aelia… But…" Malcolm detangled himself from Annabeth's arms and started towards her. Annabeth stared at her brother's back, trying hard not to be jealous.

Aelia smiled as tears of joy slipped down her cheeks. "I missed you…"

Malcolm grinned. Then they surged forward and met in the middle. Their lips crashed together.

Gasps filled the amphitheater. But the couple paid them no mind. Malcolm lifted her up around the waist; she hugged his face with one hand as she ran her fingers through his hair with the other.

When they finally broke apart, Aelia wrapped him in a bone crushing hug; her arms circling his neck.

"I missed you so much! … After what happened earlier this summer… I thought I would never see you again…" Aelia whispered into his shoulder.

Malcolm hugged her just as tightly. "Shh, shh. Don't talk like that, Lia. I love you, and always will…You know that, right? And since when did anything keep us apart?" He whispered into her hair.

Aelia nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stood on her tippy toes and pecked him on the lips.

"I love you too much." She smiled up at him.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "You can never love the Malcolminator too much, babe, only not enough."

Aelia punched his shoulder. "Don't you start the 'Malcolminator' business again. I got three years of peace, and I'm trying for four."

"That's way too long if you ask me."

"Well no one asked you."

"Why not?"

"Let's see. First, you-"

"Guys," Noelle cried. Malcolm and Aelia broke apart and stared at their friend.

"What?" They asked in unison.

"I know you missed each other and all, and that reunion was really sweet, but the _whole_ camp is watching you, and I want to hurry up and finish here." She explained.

They turned red and returned to their seats, completely forgetting about Annabeth, who had just stood there, dejected, as she watched her brother make out with his girlfriend.

Malcolm chose to sit with Aelia and friends instead of the Athena cabin. He slung an arm around her shoulder; Aelia took the opportunity to lean into his chest. She held the hand that was draped over her arm. Their fingers intertwined. Malcolm smiled and pecked her on the cheek. He had missed her so much. Too much. He stared into her gray eyes, her gold flecks reflected happiness. They were lost in each other's eyes. They had the type of love that only one couple at camp had…

"OMG! They're like, the new Percabeth!" An Aphrodite girl squealed.

"Oh please! It's obvious Percabeth is, like, a copy of, like, _them_." Her sister pointed out.

Suddenly, all of Cabin Ten (except for Piper, who looked on in disappointment) started chattering aimlessly about what Malcolm and Aelia's ship name would be.

"Ohh! Aelcolm!" One of them suggested.

"Malia!"

"Totally Aelcolm!" They all agreed.

"I ship it!"

"Let it sink Percabeth into the depths!"

"No! Percabeth shall sail by its side, into the sunset!"

"Aphrodite ships do not sink!"

"Aelcolm and Percabeth are LIFE!"

"Are you guys done now?" Hera impatiently asked. The campers nodded.

"Finally." Zeus huffed. The movie continued to play.

" **-Malcolm Dean. Are you happy now, Miss Movie Star?" The boy huffed.**

 **Aelia didn't respond, she turned to Mark. "Can we go now? I don't like him."**

 **Mark smiled and nodded. "He just doesn't trust you yet. After awhile, Malcolm will warm up to you."**

" **I believe you're forgetting that I'm right here!" Malcolm protested.**

 **Mark and Aelia ignored him. "C'mon, Aelia. Let's go tell you about the real world."**

"Can we continue tomorrow?" A little Demeter camper asked. Demeter gazed lovingly at her child and nodded.

"Let's continue watching tomorrow, Hera, they're tired." The goddess of agriculture suggested.

Hera looked around at the now yawning campers and nodded. The scene on the screen (A/N: That rhymed!) dimmed and the entire screen disappeared.

The campers disassembled and retreated to their cabins.

"Soo… where do we sleep?" Aelia gestured to her friends, excluding Malcolm.

Chiron smiled. "You can sleep in your respective cabins, or you can sleep at the Big House."

They all exchanged looks. An understanding passed between them.

"Big House." Aelia nodded.

They all walked towards the building. Right before she went inside, Malcolm pulled her into a hug.

He kissed her. Aelia felt butterflies zooming around in her stomach.

"G'night, Lia." He told her.

"Night, Blondie." Aelia smirked.

Malcolm chuckled and pulled her into another hug. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She agreed. Then she pulled away and went inside.

Malcolm walked back towards the Athena cabin. As soon as he entered the door, all talking stopped. His half siblings stared at him.

Malcolm felt his face heat up. "What?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You better explain what's up with you and Aelia's friends, Malcolm. And you better explain fast."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Malcolm's POV

I stared at Annabeth in half shock, half annoyance. Why do I owe them an explanation? I rose and eyebrow and sat down on my bunk.

"Well? We're waiting." Annabeth demanded.

I chuckled without humor. "You'll see what's "up with me and Aelia's friends" in the memory video, Annabeth. It's not my decision to tell you about what's going to happen in those memories." I answered her.

"But you're in them, so you _have_ to tell us!" Courtney protested.

I arched an eyebrow again. "But its _Aelia's_ memories, not mine. It's not my story to tell, guys. And why do you care so much anyway?" I asked.

Annabeth gaped at me. "Are you serious? You've known her for 14 years! And you never told any of us! How long have you guys been dating?"

I blushed. "Okay, one: Aelia didn't want anyone to know about her. Why do you think she didn't go to Camp Half Blood? Or Camp Jupiter…even though she didn't know it existed, but still." I told her.

Annabeth smirked. "And how long have you been dating?"

I turned even redder and mumbled, "Since we were 17…"

Annabeth gasped. "You've been dating for 4 years?" She yelled.

I nodded. "Are you happy now?" I asked.

"And I thought Percy and I were bad… You've been dating for as long as it took Percy and me to admit our feelings for each other, to each other." Annabeth muttered under her breath. She looked up. "You mean it took you _10 years_ for you guys to admit you liked each other?"

I turned even redder. "Hey! Just because I'm smart doesn't mean I'm an expert on love. Do I look like Mitchell to you? Besides, we were best friends during 9 of those years, especially after I- Oops, can't tell you that." I grinned. I was going to have fun with this.

Annabeth sighed dramatically. "Whatever, Malcolm. But don't think I'm going to forget this."

I was about to respond with a witty comment that only older brothers have access to, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"It's open!" Courtney called.

And in stepped Aelia. She had traded her combat boots, tank top, and camouflage pants for a burgundy and gold T shirt that read _I Solemnly Swear I'll Eat Bacon_ , black shorts, and flip flops. Her long black hair was tied up in a messy top knot.

"Hey guys!" She greeted.

I noticed that Annabeth narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"So, we need to extra sheets at the Big House, because Devin insists on burying himself alive in the covers, and we don't have anymore. Chiron suggested that I ask around, but so far, the only people who have extras are Nico, Percy, and Jason. And Devin practically idolizes them… so I think he'll believe he's trespassing or something." Aelia rolled her eyes and grinned devilishly.

My siblings shifted uncomfortably. It got awkward.

"Okay… so I'll take that as a no?" She asked, utterly confused.

Ah, poor girl. She's lost without me.

Aelia turned to me, as if reading my thoughts. Or did I say that out loud?

Styx. I did.

"Yeah, no. I'm _so_ not lost without you, Blondie. Especially since it was _you_ who-"

I quickly stopped her from finishing that sentence. "Tut, tut, tut, Lia. You know better than to be a spoiler! Don't you remember what happened with Shark Tale?" I asked.

Aelia turned red. "That was not my fault! It was Noah's fault! He was the one who wanted me to tell him what happened! And it _just_ so happened that I was standing in front of a microphone. Now, do you have extra bedding or not?" She demanded.

I smugly smiled at her and reached into the closet. I pulled out an extra comforter and one more pillow, just in case.

Aelia rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were still tinted pink. "Thank you, Hater."

"Miss Movie Star."

"Malcolm Mallet."

"Harriet Tubman Wannabe."

"Alex Rider."

"What?"

"I don't know."

" _Good night_ , Aelia. I'm guessing you've had a long day?" I asked.

She smiled gratefully at me, "You don't know the beginning of it. Did you know that Moriah can _really_ cuss you out if you wake her up too early? I think Devin has been eternally scarred."

I laughed. "Go on now, Lia. I'll see you at breakfast."

"And then, we sword fight, 'cause it's been _way_ too long since we've last sparred."

"You'd probably kick my butt."

"You _know_ I'd kick your butt." Aelia stated confidently.

I saw Annabeth smile secretively, thinking about the night she and Percy had gotten together, most likely.

I gently pushed her out the door. "Bye, Aelia!"

"G'night!" She called. Then she walked off.

Annabeth stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

Annabeth smiled. "You know, when the Aphrodite cabin said that Percy and I are like a copy of you two, I didn't believe them. But now, I'm starting to realize how true that is…"

I grinned. "It's good to have you back, sis."

Annabeth scowled, which triggered my chuckle.

Then I went to take a shower and go to sleep, because tomorrow was going to be a _very_ long day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Will's POV

(The Next Day)

Okay, so I have a celebrity half sister who can kick some serious ass; cool. She's also Dad's favorite kid; not cool. She's dating Malcolm Dean; weird. She's had a pretty tough past so far; not cool.

I looked up from my plate of eggs and French toast and caught Nico's eye. He blushed, which caused me to raise an eyebrow. He quickly turned away and shoveled a fork of waffles into his mouth. Nico turned to Percy, who was laughing about something, but his gaze would flicker over to me every now and then.

Weird.

I looked around. No sign of Aelia and her friends… still. I noticed Angelina, one of my sisters walking into the pavilion with a girl from Demeter.

"Hey, Angel, do you know where Aelia is?" I asked her when she sat down.

She shrugged. "I saw her heading down to the archery ranges with a few junior campers earlier. She might not still be there, though."

I nodded and murmured a quick thanks and jogged to the ranges. When I got there, I saw Aelia kneeling next to a son of Hermes. She was showing him how to fire an arrow.

"Okay, so take a deep breath… Yeah, like that. Then I want you to draw it up to your cheek… Good. Now, take another deep breath, and exhale slowly, perfect. Squint an eye if you need to, and try to aim for the center…Awesome! Now, let 'er loose!" Aelia coached him.

The arrow flew and hit the orange mark. The junior camper smiled. Aelia clapped him on the back.

"That was amazing! You'll be a pro in no time! Just keep remembering what I said and you'll do great." She smiled brightly (no pun intended). Aelia stooped down and held up her hand.

The son of Hermes nodded, gave her a high five, and headed off to breakfast. Aelia stood up from the ground. She was dressed in jean shorts, dark blue Converse high tops, an orange Camp Half Blood top, and a dark blue, white, and light gray plaid flannel over it. Her black hair was tied back in a messy ponytail. She hefted her white gold daggers and took a couple steps back.

Then she threw them, knife after knife after knife. The blades got imbedded in the bulls eye. Aelia smiled to herself. She jogged over to the target and pulled out her daggers. She sheathed Goldfyre and began twirling Sunstorm around her fingers like it was a pencil. Her bow was slung over her shoulder, even though her arrows were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey there, Will." She greeted me without looking back.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked her.

She chuckled. "I would tell you that I sensed you or something, but honestly, I saw you out of the corner of my eye while I was teaching Jonas."

Who was…? Oh wait, that must've been the little boy she was coaching earlier.

"Breakfast is almost over. Don't you want to come eat?" I asked her.

Aelia turned around. She smiled at me, and despite how jealous I was of her (yes, I admit it); I couldn't help but smile back. She had that kind of affect on people.

"Yeah, I was about to head down there myself. But walking to breakfast with your little brother can't hurt. Besides, I doubt I'll have more than a few minutes of hanging with you before you get annoying." She sent me a crooked smile.

Aelia strode over to where I was standing. When she reached my side, I realized I was at least 2 inches taller than her. She was 21, I was 16. Huh. She was small for a daughter of Apollo.

But then again, most children of Apollo had blonde hair and blue eyes, not black hair and gray eyes with gold flecks.

Aelia slung an arm over my shoulder, which made it awkward. I had to stifle a chuckle. She pouted.

"Ugh, I wish I didn't inherit Mom's height." She grumbled. I cracked a smile.

"Don't worry, Aelia. Maybe one day, you'll be as tall as me." I smiled at her.

Aelia rolled her eyes and punched my shoulder. "Yeah, and you're starting to get annoying now."

I chuckled and we walked back to breakfast.

So maybe Aelia was Dad's favorite kid. And maybe she was a total badass. But she was still my pretty awesome older sister. We walked into the pavilion. All eyes turned to us.

Hushed whispers rolled over the crowd of campers. I noticed Jonas waving wildly at Aelia, she grinned back at him. Her eyes scanned the crowd. They landed on the Athena table. She started walking over there.

Everyone watched as Aelia stopped behind Malcolm. She leaned over him and set her chin over his shoulder, so her breath was tickling his neck. Her arms draped over his shoulders also, and she pecked his jaw. Annabeth crossed her arms and stared at their backs with an eyebrow raised.

Uh, jealous much?

"Can I not finish my breakfast?" He asked; mouth full of sausage.

Aelia wrinkled her nose. "Close your mouth, Blondie, you're gonna catch flies."

"Gonna isn't a word, Lia."

"Gonna, gonna, _gonna_." She taunted. Aelia stuck out her tongue.

"Whatever. Anyways… why are you here?"

Aelia stepped back as she rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. She shook her head in disappointment and grabbed hold of Malcolm's arms. She pulled him out of his seat; his waffles fell onto his lap and tumbled to the floor. It left a sticky mess on his jeans.

"Hey! You ruined my favorite jeans!"

"Sucks for you." Aelia smirked.

"I demand you let go of me, Troy!"

"Then you're in for a disappointment, Dean."

"Where are you taking me?" Malcolm questioned.

"To the sword fighting arena, duh. I thought you were supposed to be _smart_ , Malcolm Mallet."

"But my clothes are _dirty_."

"Then I guess you'll have to spar with sticky pants then."

" _What?_ Someone! Help me! I'm being kidnapped by my own girlfriend! This is not right! This is injustice! This is inhumane!" Malcolm cried.

Campers laughed as Aelia dragged him away. Malcolm reached for his fallen breakfast. "No! My sausage!"

Aelia cracked up. "That sounded _so_ wrong."

"It sounded better in my head." Malcolm grumbled.

Aelia smiled and hauled her boyfriend up. Malcolm rubbed his butt and shot her a glare. Aelia just smiled innocently.

"I love you too." She grinned.

"Oh I'm so gonna beat you."

"Please, the only time you beat me in a sword fight was when we were 14. And _that_ was only because my eyes were swollen."

"Whatever, Miss Movie Star." He said. But he still cracked a small smile.

Aelia, completely oblivious to her audience pointed at him and grinned. "Aha! You smiled! I knew it! You can never stay mad at me."

"Whatever, Harriet."

"Aww shucks, you love it."

"Luckily for you, I do. Very much." Malcolm said.

They leaned in, closing the gap between them. Campers everywhere were covering up the eyes of the younger ones, who shouted in protest. Their lips brushed up against each other's. Aphrodite girls squealed, which caught their attention.

Aelia and Malcolm's eyes cut back to everyone, as if just realizing that they were being watched. Their faces turned red.

Then Aelia regained her composure by smirking and then grabbing Malcolm's feet. He landed with a thud on his chest. Aelia continued to drag him by the arm out of the pavilion.

Campers followed, anxious to see their sparring match.

This was going to be good.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Aelia's POV

Ah, there's nothing better than embarrassing your boyfriend in front of roughly a hundred demigods before breakfast.

Malcolm was still sulking behind me as we walked to the arena. I glanced back and saw crowds of campers following us.

"You could have at least allowed me to finish my breakfast! Those were the best waffles I've had in a long time! I just got back from a quest! Cut me some slack!" Malcolm whined.

I rolled my eyes, stopped, and turned around. Malcolm crashed into me.

I would've gotten a concussion if it weren't for him catching me. As Malcolm steadied me, I regained focus.

"Please tell me why I put up with you." I sighed.

Malcolm grinned. "Well, I'm hot, I'm awesome, I can kick butt, I'm-"

"Totally humble." I put in sarcastically.

Malcolm laughed. I punched his arm.

"Malcolm Dean, you may be a son of Athena, but you're definitely Percy Jackson at heart."

Malcolm frowned. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

I laughed and winked at him. "Your decision." Then I walked away, leaving my boyfriend speechless. As usual.

Malcolm hurried after me. He slung an arm over my shoulder. Without warning, I used his arm as a handle and leapt onto his back.

"Ride like the wind, Bulls Eye!" I yelped.

Malcolm laughed and took off for the arena. And he did _not_ make the ride a fun one. I swear I popped my hip bone sometime back there.

When he finally let me off, my knees buckled. I nearly collapsed.

"How was the ride, Lia?" Malcolm asked; his expression smug. The message was clear: _That was payback_.

I rolled my eyes and was about to flip him off but then realized that many young campers were watching, and there was Chiron to worry about.

So I settled for punching his shoulder.

"Ouch." Malcolm smiled and stuck out his tongue.

"Why don't you fight already?!" An Ares guy shouted.

I locked eyes with Malcolm. "Ready to get you're as- I mean your butt whipped?"

Cue chuckles from senior campers.

Malcolm noticed my almost slip up and smiled. "I should be asking you the same thing."

I drew my Celestial bronze sword. He drew his own.

We circled each other. Finally, Malcolm lunged at me.

Big mistake.

I quickly sidestepped and slammed him in the back with the butt of my sword. Malcolm regained his balance and quickly turned around.

He aimed for my rib cage. My eyes narrowed. I parried his attack and threw one of my own at his arm.

Malcolm went to defend himself, which I was expecting. With his left flank undefended, I slashed across his jeans, deep enough to tear his pants, but not deep enough t cut him.

Malcolm stumbled back. His eyes hardened in determination. Before I knew it, we were a blur of attacks, deceptions, blocks, and parries.

Finally, Malcolm sent my sword scattering across the stones. His own blade was only an inch away from my undefended neck.

"Game. Set. Match." He said.

Malcolm grinned and lowered his sword.

Another big mistake.

Faster than he could blink, I kicked his sword hand and Spartan kicked him in the chest. The blade went flying and Malcolm landed with a thud on his back. I straddled him, digging my forearm into his neck, a knee on his torso.

I blew a stray hair out of my face and smirked down at him.

"Never let your guard down, Blondie. You should know that of all people." I whispered to him.

Malcolm groaned and turned red.

"Is it that impossible to beat you?" He asked,

I laughed and got up. "Pretty much." I answered. I held out my hand for him, which he took.

Forgetting that we had a crowd of spectators, Malcolm pulled me into a hug. My hands flew to his chest, and he fixed his arms around the curve of my back.

We stared into each other's eyes.

"I believe we need to catch up where we left off." He whispered.

I smiled and stood up on my tippy toes (despite my hatred for it) because he was taller than me.

Our lips brushed against each other. Then, Malcolm leaned in and fully kissed me. Our lips moved in slow sync. My heart raced. Butterflies zoomed around my stomach.

Why did I have to love him so much?

I tangled my fingers into his (surprisingly) messy hair. His hand cupped my cheek.

I zoned out. I was only focused on him and him only. I ignored everything around us.

When we finally pulled away, my hearing came back, and I was greeted with squeals and wolf whistles and (just why?) cat calls.

Malcolm wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head in the crook of his neck.

Then, because he was so determined to ruin the moment, he swung me up and I was on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What the- Malcolm! Put me down!" I yelled.

Malcolm chuckled and calmly shook his head. "Sorry, no can do, babe."

I was seriously about to kick him where the sun doesn't shine, but decided against it. I did pummel his back though. As if it helped. He has a spine of steel.

I felt us moving. "Where are you taking me?" I demanded,

"Well wouldn't you like to know?" He asked, patting my butt.

"For the love of Zeus! Yes!"

Malcolm didn't answer.

"Malcolm!"

Still no answer.

By now, campers were laughing and pointing. I finally decided to give up. Just like a common child of Athena, Malcolm was stubborn. A bit _too_ stubborn if you ask me.

Finally, I felt myself being put down. Malcolm was grinning at me. I thumped his chest.

"What in Tartarus is wrong with you?" I asked,

Malcolm smiled some more. The nerve. He gestured behind me.

We were on the lake docks. That was obvious.

"I just wanted some time alone with you." Was all he said. I calmed down.

Again, why did he have to be so sweet?

Malcolm took my hand and brought me to the edge. He sat down, his legs hanging over the edge. I sat down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. Malcolm snaked an arm around my waist.

"This is nice, isn't it?" I asked,

"What do you mean?"

"After 14 years of struggling to survive, after 14 years of watching our loved ones die, after 14 years of sacrificing too much, after 14 years of arguments, after 14 years of _suffering_ , it's nice to finally have some peace." I answered.

Malcolm nodded. "Yeah. It really is nice."

We sat in silence, gazing out over the sparkling water.

"Malcolm… do you ever think about Mark or Leana… or about Noah?"

He sighed. "Yeah… I miss them."

I nodded. "They chose Rebirth you know." I told him.

Malcolm nodded. "I know."

More silence.

And we stayed like that for a long time, just soaking up each other's presence, enjoying spending time together. It was really fun to finally hang out Malcolm… especially what happened over the summer.

I smiled.

Malcolm is finally here. With me.

We were safe.

Until something exploded from the bushes.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Percy's POV

We trailed behind Malcolm and Aelia. We, as in pretty much all the senior campers and the Aphrodite cabin.

At the moment, she was pounding his back, but surprisingly, the dude didn't even flinch. He just gazed happily ahead of him.

They finally stopped at the docks. He set her down. Aelia punched him in the chest. We edged closer.

"-Wanted some time alone with you." Malcolm was saying. Aelia visibly calmed down. They sat down at the edge, their feet dangling above the water.

Malcolm wove his hand around her waist. Aelia leaned into him. He rested his head on her own, occasionally kissing her hair. But I doubt Aelia noticed that.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Aelia asked.

"What do you mean?" Malcolm questioned.

"After 14 years of struggling to survive, after 14 years of watching our loved ones die, after 14 years of sacrificing too much, after 14 years of arguments, after 14 years of _suffering_ , it's nice to finally have some peace." She answered.

Malcolm nodded. "Yeah. It really is nice."

They sat in silence, gazing out over the sparkling water.

"Malcolm… do you ever think about Mark or Leana… or about Noah?"

Who was Noah…?

He sighed. "Yeah… I miss them."

She nodded. "They chose Rebirth you know." Aelia told him.

Malcolm nodded. "I know."

More silence.

They just sat there. Eventually, they stood up. Aelia would ruffle his hair every now and then. Malcolm shook it out and glared at her.

"We're safe… It seems too good to be true…" Malcolm said.

"Yeah… Do you remember the time when Leana found Noelle and Noah?"

Malcolm chuckled. "Of course. Mark almost had a heart attack."

"It's weird… Noelle's my aunt." Aelia realized.

Malcolm laughed. "My little sister is dating her uncle. I'm pretty sure that's weirder."

Annabeth and I turned red.

"Your sister hates me." Aelia said.

Annabeth looked down at the ground in shame.

"Nah, she just doesn't know what to think of you." Malcolm countered.

Aelia chuckled. "Sounds like someone I know." She nudged him with her elbow.

"In my defense, I thought you were going to steal Mark and Leana away from me! Plus, your questions were stupid."

Aelia glared at him. "Shut up. I was new to the whole thing."

"Aelia… how long were you on your own before you met us? I never asked."

Aelia thought back to her childhood days. "That's a pretty random question…"

He shrugged.

Aelia grinned and shook her head. "About 6 or 7 months…"

Malcolm nodded. "You remember that promise we made… when we were 11?"

Aelia nodded and smiled. "Of course I do. You brought it up before we fell…" She trailed off.

I knit my eyebrows. Fell into what? Fell into where?

Malcolm pulled her closer. "I wasn't going to leave you like that. Especially not after what I did to you…"

"It wasn't your fault, Malcolm. You were kidnapped."

Malcolm shook his head. "I was gone for _two years_ , Lia. Two freakin years. My disappearance nearly killed you."

Annabeth gasped, but she wasn't the only one. Malcolm had disappeared for 2 years? When? He was at camp every time I went there.

"But you still came back, Malcolm. You still escaped. I can't blame you for that." Aelia turned around in his grasp. She held his face in her hands. Malcolm placed his own hands over hers (A/N: you know that Thaluke picture on Google? Where Luke's eyes are closed, and he's wearing that cut off CHB shirt? And Thalia is crying… I think? Well basically that, except Aelia and Malcolm instead of Thalia and Luke, dur).

"But…"

Aelia smiled sadly at him. Malcolm shut his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

"Still, I'm-"

"Malcolm Timothy Dean, I swear to all the gods that if you apologize one more time I'm gonna kick you where Apollo's rays don't reach. Gods, you're worse than Percy when it comes to guilt." She play growled.

I blushed.

Malcolm opened his eyes and smiled. Their noses touched (Aelia's taller than you think).

"I love you." He muttered against her cheek. Aelia nodded.

"I love you too." She smiled.

Aelia pressed her lips to his cheek. Malcolm grinned.

"You missed."

Aelia snorted and pulled away. "And you killed it."

Malcolm laughed. "You're my best friend."

"I better be."

More laughs.

Malcolm stuck out his hand. Aelia glanced down at it and back at him. Their eyes locked.

"Here together," Malcolm began.

Aelia's eyes shined. "Friend's forever," She continued.

"Something's were meant to be," Malcolm stated.

"And that's you and me." Aelia finished.

They grasped hands and shook.

"I promise." They said in unison.

By now, Aphrodite girls were desperately trying to keep their squeals low. I think Drew almost had a stroke, and Lacy was currently dying from a 'feels' attack. Piper looked on in a mixture of pity, disgust, and disappointment.

Aelia snuck a glance at Malcolm. "You do know that we quoted Winnie the Pooh… right?"

Malcolm turned red. "I knew it sounded familiar."

Aelia chuckled in response.

They watched the sun slowly sink (alliteration!) over the horizon. The stars came out, and I could see Zoë's constellation playing across the sky.

Malcolm sat down and pulled his girlfriend down next to him.

"Well, it's too dark for cloud watching, but I guess we could stargaze, one last time."

Aelia nodded. "One last time."

They leaned in. And finally, _finally_ , kissed. This was the moment everyone in the bushes was waiting for.

We exploded out of the undergrowth and charged. Aelia and Malcolm broke apart with lightning speed. Her daggers were in her hands faster than we could blink.

When she realized it was just us, she relaxed and sheathed them.

"Gods of Olympus! Is there no such thing as privacy?" She demanded.

I grinned. "Nope."

We swarmed around them and pushed them into the water. Some of us fell in. By now, campers were jumping into the lake.

I sank to the bottom with Annabeth and created an air bubble. She smiled at me.

"Look!" Annabeth pointed behind me.

Aelia and Malcolm were in some fissure of light; just like that monster had been in the cafeteria back at Goode.

Man that seemed centuries ago.

They were currently in each other's arms. Malcolm was playing with her hair. He whispered something into her ear. Aelia cracked up.

Her laugh echoed through the water, reaching our ears. Maybe it was just me, but I swear the water got warmer when she laughed, I swear the water got lighter when she laughed.

Her laugh was infectious. Soon, giggles could be heard everywhere. Everyone started to crack up.

Zoë looked down at us, and I swear to the gods that she smiled.

We continued to laugh.

So maybe there were more pressing matters, like who Noah was, and like when did Malcolm disappear and no one noticed. But for now, we were happy. But for now, we were safe.

For now, we were _home_.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

No One's POV

When the senior campers and Cabin 10 returned for campfire that night, they were still dripping wet (except for Percabeth of course) and laughing. Aelia and Malcolm trailed behind them, making fun of each other and generally having a good time.

This received a lot of stares, as you can probably imagine.

Aelia sat down. She realized that her friends have moved around to sit with their half siblings. She smiled at this; they seemed to be getting along great.

Butch suddenly seemed like an overprotective brother and bombarded Noelle with questions, like who she was dating (if she was dating) and who she liked (if she liked anyone or boys in general). Jessie and Leo were causing mayhem that involved fire (of course), the Ares brothers were getting along great with Clarisse and her siblings, even though Dylan and Devin were more like Frank than any of them, and Chloe was showing Jonas how to properly pull a prank, with an interjection from the Stolls here and there.

Moriah chose to sit with Aelia and Malcolm, as she didn't have any cabin mates.

"Do I even want to know?" She asked, her eye brow arched.

They laughed. "The campers pushed us in."

"Ah. Makes a lot more sense now."

Everyone quieted when the gods reappeared.

Hera didn't bother with an introduction, she just clapped her hands and the movie began.

 **Memory #6**

 **It showed Aelia, Malcolm, Mark, and Leana running through an alley way. It seemed a few months later. Aelia had two new daggers hanging at her belt. Her black hair was messy as anything and pulled back in a sloppy ponytail. She had traded her sneakers for combat boots, and her jeans were ripped pretty much everywhere along the legs. Her Celestial bronze sword was clutched in her hand, its scabbard was latched to her back.**

 **Mark and Leana were fighting off an unknown monster. Aelia and Malcolm stopped. They had hit a dead end.**

" **Styx." She cursed. They turned around.**

" **What do we do?" Malcolm asked, his hand itching towards his knife.**

 **Aelia looked around, peering into the darkness. She saw a few boxes, a ledge, and then a ladder.**

" **We climb." She answered.**

" **What? Do you want to die?"**

 **Aelia grinned at him. "You chicken, Blondie?"**

 **Malcolm scowled. "No."**

 **Aelia smirked. "Then let's go."**

 **She sheathed her sword on her back and dove for the boxes. Aelia scrambled up them with speed. She jumped and grabbed hold of the ledge. Aelia hoisted herself up and reached for the ladder. She almost slipped. Aelia's eyes tightened in determination as she grasped the ladder and climbed up like a goat. She landed on the roof of the building.**

" **C'mon, Blondie! Time's a wasting!" She called down.**

 **Malcolm scowl grew. He muttered a curse at her and began climbing.**

 **Soon after he reached the top, Mark and Leana finished killing the monster.**

" **Guys? Where are you?' Mark called, his face pinched in concern.**

" **Up here! Yoohoo!" Aelia called.**

 **They looked up to find two 7 year olds on top of a building.**

" **Should we come up are should you come down?" Leana asked.**

 **Aelia opened her mouth to respond, but Malcolm cut her off.**

" **We're coming down!" He called.**

 **Aelia frowned at him and started to climb down.**

 **She shook her black hair out of her gray eyes. "What was that thing?"**

 **Mark and Leana exchanged glances.**

" **We don't know." Mark said.**

 **Both Malcolm and Aelia raised an eyebrow.**

" **Liar, liar." Aelia muttered.**

" **We don't!" Leana protested.**

 **Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Do we have any money left? I'm starving."**

 **Aelia nodded in agreement. Leana shoved her hands in her pockets and felt around. She came up with 10 drachmas, a piece of paper, and a lot of lint.**

" **Sorry, kiddos, guess we gonna have to go without."**

 **Aelia stomped her foot in frustration. Her image flickered. One second, she was the 7 year old little girl, the next she was a girl around Leana's age with curly blonde hair and gray eyes.**

"What the Hades… She looks like me!" Annabeth said, astounded. Campers nodded in astonished agreement.

" **Aelia…how did you do that?" Mark asked.**

" **Do what?" She asked,**

" **You changed…" Malcolm explained poorly.**

" **What? Are you guys hallucinating or something?"**

 **Leana frowned. "Stomp your foot again."**

 **Aelia did as told, nothing happened. "See? I think you guys are just hungry."**

 **Aelia crossed her arms and stared at them.**

" **What are we going to do, then?" She asked.**

 **Mark and Leana exchanged more glances. They smiled down at Malcolm and Aelia. Immediately the 7 year olds perked up.**

" **We get to do it again?" Aelia asked.**

 **The teenagers nodded.**

" **Yes!" Malcolm cried.**

" **Don't get too carried away, and do not, I repeat,** _ **do not**_ **get caught." Mark ordered.**

 **The 7 year olds nodded and ran off into the darkness.**

"She's letting them go? That's stupid! They could get killed! Where are they even going?" Piper demanded.

Hermes and his kids looked at each other and grinned mischievously. They looked back at Piper and all said in unison, "Thievery."

"Oh." Was all she answered.

 **The scene changed. Malcolm and Aelia were walking down the street. They stopped at a bus stop.**

" **When are you going to tell them?" Malcolm asked her.**

 **Aelia sighed. "I don't know. I don't even have control over my powers yet, Malcolm. I don't wanna give them false hope."**

" **But the longer you put it off, the less trust they'll have in you when you do tell them."**

 **Aelia sighed and stared at the ground. "I know. But… I need to get my bearings… I need to know what any of my powers mean. Usually, they only work in the light… but it was pitch dark in that alley…"**

 **Malcolm shrugged. "Maybe if you tell them, they can help you."**

 **Aelia remained silent for a ten seconds count. "I don't know, Malcolm…"**

 **He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.**

 **Malcolm stared at her. He huffed. "Whatever."**

 **Aelia glanced at him through her peripheral vision. "What?" She asked. Malcolm shook his head and turned.**

 **Aelia huffed and rolled her eyes in frustration. A man came along and sat down next to Malcolm.**

 **They turned to each other.**

" **Same plan?" Aelia asked.**

" **Same plan." Malcolm agreed.**

 **Malcolm distracted the man while Aelia snuck around and stole his wallet. She emptied it of its contents, except for the state ID, driver's license, and bank card.**

 **In one swift movement, the wallet was back in his pocket. Malcolm finished up the conversation and they walked off.**

" **How much?" He pestered her.**

 **Aelia counted the money. "Not much, only $35. We should try to get another one or two, and then we should go find Mark and Leana."**

 **Malcolm nodded. Aelia started talking to a rich looking lady while Malcolm searched her purse. He came up with a Gucci wallet. He opened it and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. The inside was stuffed with dollar bills and gift cards.**

 **Malcolm emptied it out and chose four $50 Kohl's gift cards. Then he slipped the now thin wallet back into the purse.**

 **Aelia walked away from the rich lady and rejoined Malcolm on the other side of the street.**

" **Bingo!" He laughed.**

 **Aelia smiled brightly. "How much?"**

" **There's $200 in gift cards from Kohl's, and there was about another $150 in cash. Plus, the $35 you found, that's about $385 total. Mark and Leana are gonna be stoked!" Malcolm cheered.**

 **Aelia grinned. "We can get food and clothes! And provisions!" They high-fived each other and went off to find their friends.**

Everyone gazed in awe at Aelia and Malcolm, who were smirking smugly with their arms crossed.

"Not even _we_ are that good…" Travis breathed.

Aelia turned to him and smirked. "I told you, Travis, I know more about pick pocketing than you think."

Travis didn't answer.

 **They approached the same alley. Mark and Leana were sitting against the walls. Leana was seated criss-cross-apple-sauce with her swords in her lap. Mark was thumbing his black bow. He fingered the gold designs that Aelia hadn't noticed before. His back was against the wall.**

" **We're back!" Malcolm called.**

" **So much for the element of surprise." Aelia muttered under her breath.**

 **Mark and Leana quickly stood up and met their friends.**

" **How much?" They asked in unison.**

 **Malcolm and Aelia gazed at each other. Their eyes locked.**

" **You ready?" Malcolm slyly asked.**

 **They nodded.**

" **You might want to be sitting down." Aelia suggested.**

 **The teens shot them quizzical looks, but sat down nonetheless.**

" **Would you like to do the honors, Miss Movie Star?" Malcolm taunted.**

 **Aelia scowled at her nickname and stuck out her tongue. "Malcolm and I collected-"**

" **-$385!" Malcolm interrupted.**

 **Aelia glared at him while Mark and Leana shot up with grins. Yelps and hoots could be heard two blocks over in any direction.**

 **Malcolm ignored Aelia's fatal glare and focused on Mark and Leana.**

" **That's awesome, guys!" Mark ruffled Aelia's hair and Leana wrapped her arms around Malcolm. Both of the kids blushed.**

" **Let's go get some food, and then we go shopping tomorrow, okay?" Mark smiled down at Aelia.**

 **Aelia turned even redder and nodded profusely. Mark chuckled.**

 **The scene changed again. The group seemingly had just eaten. They settled down in another alley.**

 **Malcolm was dead asleep in seconds. Leana slowly drifted off to sleep. The screen showed Aelia back down on the asphalt. She stared up at the sky, which was full of stars.**

" **Where are we?" She wondered aloud.**

" **Massanutten, Virginia, I think." Mark answered.**

 **Aelia's flinched. "You scared me. I thought you were asleep."**

 **Mark laughed and scooted over to the 7 year old. "I don't fall asleep as fast as Mal or Leah."**

 **Aelia nodded. "Who's your godly parent?" She asked him.**

 **Mark looked back at his bow that was propped against a wall. He glanced back at Aelia and shrugged.**

" **I don't know. I thought it would be Apollo, but… they're sorta known for blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Not much of black hair…" Mark trailed off, staring into the distance.**

"Oh, the irony." Malcolm chuckled.

 **Aelia, noticing his discomfort, nodded. "I know I'll probably sound like a baby… but… could you tell me a story?" She blushed.**

 **Mark laughed. "Sure, but I only know one or two. Hope it's not too disappointing."**

 **Aelia smiled and laid her head in his lap. Mark began the story, playing with her hair lovingly, like an older brother.**

" **So… about a few eons ago, around the end of the Trojan War, there was a son of Hephaestus. His name was unknown, but he was incredible at his work, almost as good as his father. When Troy fell, he was determined to keep the bloodline going. He created a sword, made out of a metal so rare, that some say it was the sword was the only source of that metal on the face of the Earth." He began.**

" **What was the name of it?" Aelia asked.**

" **Trojan silver – original, I know. Anyways, this silver was created to dispel evil, meaning it can only reap evil souls. The son of Hephaestus somehow crafted the sword from 4 of the 5 rivers of Tartarus. It was infused with the waters of the River Cocytus, or the River of Misery, which causes the recipient of the blade give up hope on surviving. It was heated in the River Phlegethon, the River of Fire, giving the recipient of the sword a taste of what it's like to be burned alive. But it doesn't kill them, oh no, in fact, it keeps them alive. The other rivers kill the evil one. The metal was then cooled in the River Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness, erasing the memories of the receiver of the blade, for 10 years. It was then dipped in the River Acheron, the River of Pain, causing the skin of the recipient to experience pure pain and anguish, so much that they want to give up on living. And the River Cocytus doesn't help either. Some say that if the possessor of the blade finds one of their greatest evil enemies, they can call on the River Styx, the River of Hate, and cause their pain to be 15x worse."**

 **Aelia shuddered. "Sounds painful."**

 **Mark stroked her hair and laughed. "It was, but remember it was created to dispel evil souls. So if you're a good person, the blade will pass through you like a mirage."**

" **Like Celestial bronze and mortals?" Aelia wondered.**

 **Mark nodded. "Exactly. Anyways, when the sword was created, the son of Hephaestus gave it to his son. The son became a great hero, and he passed it on to his daughter. The sword was passed on from generation to generation. But it disappeared. Some say that it went underground, that it's still being passed down, but it only yields to a descendant of Troy."**

 **Aelia nodded. Her necklace glowed against her neck. Her eyes widened. She took it off.**

" **M-Mark… what did it look like?" She asked, sitting up.**

 **Mark, not sensing her discomfort, answered, "It's silver, obviously. Some say that the edges are milky white, from the River Lethe, others say it's dark blue from the River Cocytus, others say that it's occasionally black, from the River Styx, and even some say that the edge is fiery red, because of the River Phlegethon."**

Campers stared at Aelia. They thought of her sword, Avengis. It was silver with red edges. _Aelia was Trojan?_

 **Aelia paled. "M-Mark… watch this..."**

" **Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.**

 **Aelia threw her necklace in the air. Mark's eyes widened when he saw it transform into a double edged silver sword with a fiery red blade. Aelia caught it with ease.**

 **Mark gaped at it. "But… who gave that to you?"**

 **Aelia looked down. "My mom, she told me to take it."**

 **Mark sat there, but it was obvious that the gears were turning in his head.**

" **No… it can't be…" He muttered.**

" **What can't be?" Aelia asked.**

" **There's only one way to prove it." He continued.**

" **Mark?"**

" **Aelia, cut yourself."**

" **What?! Are you crazy?" She asked, clearly shocked.**

" **Just cut yourself, okay? I know what I'm doing." He pestered.**

 **Aelia grumbled and took out one of her daggers. She slit a cut across her palm and cringed while doing so.**

 **Mark took out a flashlight and shined down on it.**

Campers gasped. Aelia did _not_ have normal blood.

 **A shimmery golden scarlet substance oozed out. Aelia's eyebrows pinched in shock.**

" **Why isn't my blood normal? What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.**

 **Mark shook his head in disbelief. "So the legends** _ **are**_ **true."**

" _ **What**_ **legends?"**

" **Aelia… your mom was a demigod."**

" _ **What?**_ **"**

" **That explains why your scent is more powerful than ours, and why you're more capable at fighting than us. You have more godly blood in you than mortal blood."**

 **Aelia did the math in her head. "So… I'm 3/4ths god… What would happen if I- you know what? Forget it; I'm too young to be thinking about this."**

 **Mark laughed. "Let's get some sleep, Aelia. We have a long day tomorrow."**

 **Aelia nodded and drifted off to sleep, but not before Mark gave her some ambrosia to heal her cut.**

 **Her scar glinted in the moonlight.**

 **Then Aelia fell asleep.**

Campers ogled at Aelia. She shifted uncomfortably. Soon they pestered her with questions.

"That's so cool!"

"Are you immortal?"

"Can you bust out your sword?"

"Where did your mom get your sword?"

"Are you immortal?"

"You already asked her that, dumbass."

"Shut up, Alfred."

" _You_ shut up, William."

"No, _you_ shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"You better shut up before I shove my sword up your-"

Aelia sighed and stood up. The campers hushed. She said nothing and walked out of the amphitheater. Her footsteps thudding on the stones. Her black hair tumbled down her back as she pulled out her ponytail, and she sprinted away.

Malcolm stood, preparing to go after her. Moriah grabbed his arm and pulled him down.

"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed.

"Going after her." Malcolm answered.

Moriah shook her head. "She needs time, Dean. Let her be alone for a while."

Malcolm frowned. "No, I know Aelia. She isn't sad, she's infuriated right now. Who knows what she'll do." He rose his voice gradually.

Moriah scowled. "I'm not letting you go."

Malcolm stood up. Moriah stood up also.

"Malcolm, stop!" She ordered.

Malcolm ignored her. Moriah set herself in his path and pushed him backwards.

Campers gasped as Malcolm flew back. When he got up, his eyes were blazing. He stomped over to her.

"Get out of my way," He growled.

"Malcolm, you don't know what you're getting into. Aelia… She could hurt you."

"I don't care."

"Listen to me! She- She's been having issues lately! She's getting more and more images of her mom, and these memories aren't helping. If you try to go to her while she's angry… she might cut you, or worse." Moriah yelled.

"I. Don't. _Care!_ Let her cut me! She needs to get that anger out, Moriah! Don't you see? The more she bottles it up inside, the harder it is for her to control! I know Aelia better than you do!" Malcolm answered, his voice ice cold.

"I'm not letting you go!" Moriah calmly stated.

Then all Tartarus broke loose.

"I suggest you get out of my way before I slice you up, Ramsey. I know what I'm doing. And the longer you try to stop me, the more damage Aelia is going to cause. I've seen her full rage before, and that is something that I don't want to happen. And that _will_ happen if she doesn't get it out now. So why don't you unstick your annoying nose out of my business before I make you! Just shut up and sit down!" Malcolm exploded.

Moriah stared at him in stunned silence. Malcolm pushed her out of his way and stormed off in the direction Aelia went.

The amphitheater was silent for a long time.

"Does he always get that mad?" Someone asked.

Moriah shook her head. "The last time I saw him that mad… Oh my gods. I must've pushed his buttons. What have I done?" She flopped down on a chair and buried her head in her hands.

"I suggest we call it a night." Annabeth said. Campers nodded.

And then, a bright light filled the valley.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Malcolm's POV

I found her at the sword fighting arena, hacking away at dummies like they were made of water. Straw and stuffing were scattered everywhere. Aelia had her eyes narrowed, and her arms looked already taut from swinging the sword. She sheathed it and took out her daggers. She prepared to square it at one of the dummy heads.

"Aelia…" I quietly called.

She stopped and turned around. Her eyes were gold and icy. Suddenly, the Second Titan War filled my head. I vaguely remembered battling in Manhattan… and Aelia… she was… invisible… on enemy lines…

I shook my head. Now is _so_ not the time to get distracted.

When she saw it was me her eyes softened by a fraction of a degree. She sheathed her sword.

"What do you want, Malcolm?" She quietly asked. I instantly had the urge to hide. When Aelia gets mad, she becomes quieter, and then BAM! You find yourself becoming a target for her daggers.

Basically, this was the calm before the storm.

I didn't know how long it would last.

I wearily inched forward.

"You okay?" I ventured.

"Just pissed as hell at those annoying campers." She answered nonchalantly. I knew she was trying to look strong, trying to look like they didn't bother her. But something told me Aelia was more hurt than she let on.

"I get it, they were insensitive. But come on, Aze, tell me that you wouldn't be curious if you figured out a celebrity child who has been missing for the past 14 years is (a) descendant of Troy (b) 3/4ths god (c) can kick butt (d) has a wicked old sword that comes with it's own legend and (e) strong enough and bold enough to defend Apollo from Zeus… and _win_."

Aelia shook her head. Her eyes turned back to the gray they usually are. But the torchlight in the arena made them seem darker. Scarier. More intense.

"That's the whole reason I didn't want to come here, Malcolm. Because people don't see _me_ , all they see are the 5 things you just mentioned." She crossed her arms and glared at me.

Styx. I mess up.

But I couldn't give up, so I pressed on.

I stepped closer again. "I get it. But the longer you keep this in… the larger the toll will be when you finally le it out."

Her shoulders sagged. I internally grinned in triumph.

She closed her eyes. "You might want to hit the dirt." She advised with an eye open.

I smirked and laid down on the floor chest down. Aelia concentrated. I could sense her pouring her emotions into one big ball of light. Then she took a deep breath and let it go.

A bright light filled the valley. My ears were ringing. I forced my eyes open. Black dots danced around the edges. The air cackled and smelled like… sunshine… if sunshine had a smell. It smelled warm, and comforting…

Aelia looked exhausted, but she was grinning. She slumped forward. I got up before she could hit her head. She collapsed and let out a sigh.

I steadied her. Aelia combed the hair out of her face with her fingers and stared me in the eye. Our eyes locked. I could feel myself getting pulled into her gaze.

"Thank you." She murmured, her eyes never leaving my face.

I shrugged. "It was nothing. I just didn't want you to blow up."

She nodded and gave me a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, that would be bad."

I sat down on the cobblestones. She obliged and sat down next to me. Aelia hugged her knees to her chest.

"Why do you always have to keep up that façade of yours?" I ask her.

Aelia put a head on my shoulder. She shrugged. "Boosts my self esteem, and it directs my focus away from… other things."

I sighed. "But that's not the real you. I _know_ the real Aelia. I miss her."

She didn't respond.

So we sat there in silence. It was a bit tense, and a bit awkward, but it was also comfortable.

Finally she answered me. "The real me is weak, vulnerable, _afraid_. If I showed the real me…," She shook her head. "The others follow me, Malcolm, they look up to _me_ for guidance. That's why I have to be strong, for them, to give them hope."

I almost snorted. "Most of them are only a few years younger than you."

Aelia rolled her eyes and huffed. "So? What about Reyna? Most of her legionnaires are her same age, some of them older. Age is nothing but a number of years, Malcolm. I could be still that seven year old little girl you found in the alley, and still people could look up to me."

I opened my mouth to object but she was on a roll.

"Tell me, Malcolm. Would you look to someone for guidance, if they were always second guessing themselves, or if they weren't confident in themselves? Would you follow someone who was weak? Or vulnerable?"

I think it over. I couldn't find an answer, so I ignored the question completely. "But the Aelia whose "weak," "vulnerable," and "afraid" is the more human Aelia. It makes you seem less… intimidating."

Aelia laughed without humor. "I'm barely human, Malcolm. But I see where your coming from."

She gave me a peck on the lips and stood up. Right before she reached the door, Aelia turned back.

"If you want the real Aelia, then you better look for something else. Because the real Aelia isn't going to show herself anytime soon." She smiled sadly at me.

"Good night, Malcolm. And sweet dreams." Then she left.

I stared into nothing, contemplating the situation.

I had to get Aelia back, before it was too late.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Butch's POV

(Ha, bet you weren't expecting that…)

 **Author's Note**

 **I changed Noelle's age from 14 to 16 years old, because I didn't want to make her seem so young. Also, you'll see the other reason why I made her a bit older. Now, for announcements..**

 **Thanks you guys** _ **so**_ **much for the reviews, follows, and faves! I read every single review, and I was like, "Oh my gosh! They like my story!" I nearly had a heart attack when I saw WinterStormArt's first review!**

 **I love you guys… even though this story has only been out for a week. Can you believe that? It's only been one week and already 10 chapters… Thanks so much!**

 **Also, I've hit a bit of a writer's block, I know, already. ._. I suck. Anyways, since I've hit a block of the writers, I probably won't be updating after chapter 12. I'm sorry!**

 **Please don't kill me in my sleep…**

 **And now, for the disclaimer, because I realized I haven't been doing that, even though I have no idea why we do it for. We all know we don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ The Heroes of Olympus, and we never will because Uncle Rick would be a** _ **vlacas**_ **to sell it. But yeah, I guess I should do it so I don't get reported or anything…**

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, all rights to Rick Riordan**_

 **This author's note is getting a bit long… so, without further ado, on with the story!**

 **I love you all!**

I doubled over as the flashing light seared into my eyes. I shut them as tightly as I could, and when I opened them, my vision was a bit blurry around the edges. All around me campers were finally opening their eyes.

"What was that?" I asked, completely bewildered.

Noelle rolled her eyes and hid a grin in the shadows of the campfire. "That was Aelia. Either she finally exploded, or she let it all out purposely. I'm hoping it's the latter one, because if anyone can persuade Aelia, it's Malcolm."

I nodded. Noelle's eyes glittered in the warm glow of the bonfire. Her golden blonde hair had its own inner shine to it, and her pink cheeks added to her beauty.

But her eyes sort of ruined it. They seemed shattered, broken beyond repair. When I asked her about it, all she answered was a simple, "Doesn't matter."

Hmm…

I looked over her tattoo on forearm. It was a multicolored sword stabbed through a heart that was intertwined with thorns on a vine. When I asked Noelle what it meant, she told me that it symbolized a lost love.

Yet she told me that she's never liked someone before.

When I asked her if it hurt when she got it, since it was so complicated, she answered, "Not as much as the emotional pain."

When I asked her if she had anymore tats, she told me to shut up before she stuffed my face with melons, which was a weird threat. But I still shut up, because, hey, when your little sister has two wicked swords that she can bust out faster than Percy, you might want to keep her happy.

The campers started to disassemble, but Devin… or was it Dylan? I don't remember his name (nor do I care), stopped me.

"Hey, you're Noelle's older brother, right?' He asked.

I grunted while I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to look intimidating, he didn't seem to notice.

"What's it to you?" I asked.

He glanced around nervously. "Don't ask Noelle too many questions, okay? It'll remind her too much about…" He trailed off.

"About who?" I pestered, my façade disappeared.

Devin (or Dylan) shook his head. "I can't tell you, I promised not to. Anyways, Noelle is like a little sister to me. I can't stand seeing her upset… so just…lay off, okay?"

I stood there, stunned. Weren't kids of Ares supposed to be all bloodthirsty bullying douchebags (Frank was an exception)? And _I_ was Noelle's older brother, not this pansycake (A/N: Divergent fans what up?!).

He clapped me on the shoulder and walked off.

(A/N: You, yeah you! Go back and read the Author's Note, I know you didn't. And if you did, then you get a blue cookie! The A/N up there is really important! Like really important!)

I tossed and turned on my bunk. Noelle was snoring softly from across the room. I sat up and massaged my temples, recalling my dream.

 _The dream showed a group of kids sitting around a table in a cabin. With a shock I realized it was Aelia and her friends, but Malcolm wasn't there. They were all sitting in silence._

 _Aelia was throwing darts at the wall and doing something to have them fly back into her hands. In her other hand was one of her white gold daggers, twirling across her fingers._

 _They sat in awkward silence._

 _Aelia broke the tension by stabbing her dagger into the wooden table. The dart dug itself into the wall and she sat forward._

 _Everyone looked at her in surprise. Aelia stood up._

" _This is stupid. Like just sitting around here is going to bring Malcolm back. Like just waiting is going to make our problems disappear. I'm going to find him." She growled._

 _Aelia started for the door, but Noelle flashed into her path and blocked the door._

" _Don't be idiotic, Aelia. We're surrounded in all directions; the Laistrygonians will pummel us with flaming boulders, if the telkhines don't devour us first." She reasoned._

" _Then I'll cut them down to size." Aelia pushed her out of the way._

 _Her friends got up and tried to call her back, but Aelia didn't listen and sprinted away into the woods._

 _Jessie and Moriah exchanged looks as they sat down._

" _She could get killed. She does know that, right?" Noelle grumbled._

 _They nodded. "Aelia's tangled with death before. She won't give up without a fight, especially when it seems hopeless. Aelia'll be fine." Moriah reassured her, but it seemed like she was reassuring herself more than anyone else._

 _They all stared dejectedly at the dart that had embedded into the wall._

" _What if she does die?" Devin asked no one in particular._

 _None of them answered, but the answer was clear:_ Let's not think about that. _Noelle stood up._

" _Noelle…." Jessie asked cautiously._

 _Noelle didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the door._

" _Noelle…." Devin slid out of his chair and inched towards the girl. She ignored him and started for the door._

" _Elle… C'mon, don't do it." Moriah reached for her arm. Noelle plucked it off and turned around._

" _This is wrong." She said. Her green eyes were full of anger._

" _What?" Dylan asked._

 _Noelle shook her head. "This is wrong. Plain wrong. Malcolm's missing, and we don't know if he's dead or alive. Aelia just risked her life trying to find him. She could be dead by now, and all we're doing is just sitting here, waiting for the storm to pass? The monsters won't leave until we're dead, guys. The storm will_ never _pass, not until we're all lying lifeless in the dirt. I'm not going to sit here on my ass while there are other kids younger than us fighting for their lives out there." Her voice shook._

" _Noelle, try to see the reason here. We all want to help-"Moriah started._

 _Noelle cut her off. "Then help! Waiting here isn't going to help anyone! I don't know about you guys, but I'm going after Aelia. Whether you like it or not."_

 _She pushed them away and yanked open the door. The outside world was dark. Stars glittered in the moonlight and a soft breeze rustled the leaves in the trees, giving off a peaceful vibe. But based off of what Jessie had said, that was nothing but a fraud. Monsters were somewhere out there, lying in wait for demigods._

 _Noelle disappeared into the darkness and the door slammed closed, rattling on the hinges._

 _Jessie, Moriah, and the brothers Parker sat down again._

" _Why do I feel so guilty?" Dylan asked._

 _The rest of them avoided each others eyes._

" _Noelle is the youngest out of all of us. Yet she was the one who was willing to fight for Aelia and Malcolm. I'm Aelia's best friend… and yet, I did nothing." Moriah whispered._

 _Then a scream pierced the air._

 _They all sat up and exchanged fearful looks._

" _Noelle…" Jessie whimpered._

 _Then the dream faded._

I sat up and gasped. What was wrong with Noelle? Was everything okay? I kept my cool and steadied my breaths.

Noelle was right there across the cabin. She was fine. She was okay.

She was alive.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Malcolm's POV

I was planning on getting a good night's sleep. Sadly, that never happened. As my cabin mates were snoring softly, I was wide awake, thinking up of ways to coax the _real_ Aelia out from behind that mask of hers.

I was stuck. I couldn't find out a plan.

I yawned. The sun was already rising. I glanced around the cabin. It was the same as I remembered it: beds pushed along one wall, desks and benches littered with papers, books, and maps, pencils strewn everywhere.

Annabeth tossed and turned on her bed, her eyebrows were pinched.

I sighed. Another demigod dream.

Her hair was turning gold in the morning sunlight that trickled through the window. Her hair reminded me of Aelia's eyes last night. I shivered. They seemed so cold, so emotionless, yet so angry at the same time.

I never realized it, but Aelia scared the Tartarus out of me. If we weren't dating, or even friends… she probably would've murdered me in my sleep _long ago_.

I leaned back against my pillow. Annabeth continued to toss and turn. She murmured things in her sleep. I wanted to wake her up, but decided against it. She would wake up when she had all the information she needed… Unless it was a nightmare, or a flashback…

Terror struck in my chest. What if she was having a nightmare about Tartarus? What if she never woke up?

 _Calm down,_ I told my self. I took deep breaths. The fear subsided.

I would never tell him, but I was really grateful to Jackson. He could've let her fall into there by herself… but he chose to go to Hell… for _her_.

If he hadn't done that, I don't know if I would've had enough courage and determination to stay with Aelia over the summer… despite everything I put her through the past 3 years.

I shook my head. _Don't think about that_ , I chided.

I settled back against the pillows again. My eyes eased closed. I sighed, wanting to get at least a wink of sleep before breakfast.

As you can imagine, it didn't happen that way.

A tortured scream pierced through the morning bliss. My blood turned to ice. I've heard that scream before. It was filled with desperation, anguish, anger, needing, grief.

Everyone snapped awake. I rushed out of bed. My groggy siblings rubbed their eyes and glanced at each other in confusion.

There were shouts and thumping of feet outside the cabin. Hurried foot steps were scattering everywhere.

The door burst open. Dylan came flying in, wearing nothing but a tank top and boxers, exposing his muscled and scar littered arms and legs.

I would be lying if I said that none of my sisters ogled him.

His baby blue eyes frantically scanned the room. They landed on me.

"Malcolm! Come quick!" he urged me.

"Dylan?"

"I'm serious! We don't know what to do! She's kicking and screaming and sobbing." His breaths shook. His voice cracked.

"What's wrong?"

He didn't answer me.

"Dylan!"

He looked up at me. I took a step back. Pure fear filled his eyes.

"Malcolm, it's Aelia. Something bad is happening to her, and we don't know what."

The next 30 minutes passed in a blur. I vaguely remembered rushing out of the cabin; despite my lack of clothing (I was shirtless). Dylan led me to the Big House, where crowds of campers were swarming the entrance, trying to see what was going on.

We wrestled our way through. He led me to Aelia's room. The rest of our friends were flocked around her bed.

When I saw her, my heart leapt into my throat.

Aelia was screaming and kicking, despite her being bound to the bed. Her face was glistening with tears, her eyelids were closed.

"Stop! Let him go! Take me instead! Take me instead!" She sobbed, her breaths ragged.

I went to her. Aelia struggled against the bonds. She visibly calmed down a little bit.

"I-I'll tell you what. If you let him live," She paused. Her voice seemed broken. "Then I'll let you take me… Do whatever you want with me… Torture me… kill me… I don't _care_. Just _please_ … Let Malcolm live… _I beg you_." Her eyes welled up with tears.

Everyone turned and stared at me in surprise. I did my best to ignore them.

"No… not this again…" I started to untie her bonds.

"What are you doing?" Jessie asked me.

"Tying her up… that's making it worse, I know what I'm doing." I reassured her.

 _At least, I_ think _I know what I'm doing._

I shook that thought out of my head and continued to untie my girlfriend.

When she was free, she lashed out at me. Aelia continued to scream and kick, but she threw punches, she tried to rake her nails across my face.

When she opened her eyes, I felt the familiar strike of terror in my chest. Her eyes were black. Pitch black. No whites showed through, they looked like empty pits.

Everyone screamed and scuttled away, but I stood my ground.

"Aelia… calm down. I'm right here." I soothed.

"NO! You-you're lying! He's right over there! Malcolm…" She choked on her own voice.

I continued to soothe her. After awhile, she started to calm down. Aelia broke down into sobs. Her vision cleared, and her eyes turned back to the beautiful gray that they are.

When she saw me, she tackled me in a hug. She held on for dear life.

She shook violently. I held on also. I rubbed circles on her back.

"Don't leave me." She pleaded.

My eyes stung with tears. It hurt me to see her like this. She's sacrificed so much. She was forced to see things no person should ever see.

"I-I'll never leave you, Aelia. Don't worry about that. I promise." I told her. My voice was shaking too.

She nodded slightly into my shirt. She hands clung to my shoulder blades. I wrapped my arms her even tighter.

"They-they were about to _kill_ you, Malcolm. I couldn't do anything… It was so dark down there… I couldn't see anything… But I saw everything…" She sobbed again.

I nodded, understanding everything that she said. "It's okay. We made it out of there, Aelia. We're okay… We're alive."

She continued to sob. Everyone else began to clear out. I heard footsteps coming into the room, but I didn't register them. I was solely focused on the girl in my arms who was shaking uncontrollably.

I picked her up and laid back down on the bed. Aelia clung tighter. With a slight smile, I laid down under her. Her head rested on my chest, her arms at my sides.

I rubbed her back with one hand and played with her messy hair with the other until she fell asleep. She breathed softly. I pressed a soft kiss to her hair. She smiled a little in her sleep.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Malcolm?" I heard a familiar voice say. I looked over and saw Annabeth standing at the door, her face etched with confusion.

"Hey, Annabeth." I greeted.

Her eyes landed on the sleeping girl in my arms. Her eyes softened. She stepped closer.

"Noelle told me what happened." She whispered.

I nodded.

"But I didn't understand…" She trailed off, waiting for me to fill her in.

I sighed and carefully slipped out of the bed. Aelia mumbled something but slept on. She hugged a pillow to her chest. I bit back another smile.

I turned back to my little sister, whose arms were folded across her chest. I sighed again and ran a hand through my hair, not knowing where to begin.

"I'll tell you what. Let me go take a shower, brush my teeth, and put on a shirt. Then we can go for a walk after breakfast and I'll explain." I told her.

Annabeth seemed to contemplate that. She nodded. Then she took a step closer and jabbed a finger at my bare chest.

"You better keep that promise, Mister. I want answers." She told me, poking my chest with every word.

I smiled. "Yes ma'am."

Then Annabeth gave me a smug smile, spun on her heels, and walked away.

I glanced at Aelia, who was still sleeping. I strode over to her, pulled the sheets up to her stomach, and placed another kiss on her lips.

"I hope you don't mind me telling Annabeth." I whispered to her. She vaguely nodded and continued to puff out breaths through her lips.

I smiled again and went off to clean myself up.

After breakfast, I found Annabeth waiting for me right by the pavilion steps, reading a book. I chuckled and walked over to her. She looked up, her gray eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her golden curly blonde hair shined.

She punched me in the arm. "It's about time you showed up."

I grinned. "Breakfast _just_ ended, Annabeth."

She rolled her eyes and muttered an indignant, "Whatever." Under her breath.

We walked down to the docks, where Aelia and I were ambushed by the Aphrodite cabin and the senior campers.

My mouth tasted like metal. She seemed to happy then… Now she seemed so… _scarred_.

We sat down over the edge. I thought about what to tell her. I took a deep breath.

"Well… I guess I should start with her fear…" I started. Annabeth turned to me, an eyebrow raised. Her expression urging me to continue.

"She's afraid of the dark…" I told her. Annabeth raised both eyebrows, and her face split into a grin.

I shook my head. "I'm being serious."

She chuckled.

"Annabeth, stop." I ordered. She stopped and stared at me in surprise. "I mean, think about it. Aelia is literally partially light. It's a part of who she is. The polar opposite of light is darkness. It's like with Mom and Arachne."

Her smile faded. She nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."

I took another deep breath. "Over the summer, during the Second Giant War, when the news that you and Percy fell into Tartarus…"

Annabeth flinched at the name of the Pit.

"She was worried beyond belief for you-"

"How did she even know who I was? And why did she care?" Annabeth demanded.

I waved it off, "That's another story for another time. Anyways, when she learned that you and Percy fell, she wanted to go after you and Percy, to make sure _you_ were okay."

I let that sink in. Annabeth's eyes widened.

"Sh-she wanted to go to Hell? For me? Voluntarily? _Just_ to make sure I was okay?" Annabeth asked.

I nodded. "She wanted to help you. B-but I stopped her. I didn't want to loose her so soon after I came back…"

She gazed at me, asking me what I was talking about without using words. I waved that off too.

"She wouldn't listen to me. Aelia ran off to the Ancient Lands, searching for an entrance to Tartarus. I went after her. We were captured, by who? We don't know. Our captor sent us underground. We were trapped for week and a half. We almost died of starvation, but we escaped. We managed to survive for a few days, living off of _really_ watered down nectar, but our captor caught up to us. He cornered us over an edge of a chasm." My voice shook, remembering the feel of the cold air on our backs.

Annabeth listened intently, her face emotionless.

"He warned us… that the chasm went deeper than Tartarus. That it went to a place even worse than the Pit. We didn't believe him. He sent Aelia toppling over the edge. I managed to catch her, but she pulled me down with her. I was able to hold onto a ledge, but I know we wouldn't be able to climb back up…"

Annabeth's eyes stung with tears. Her hand was clasped over her mouth. "Malcolm…"

I couldn't meet her eyes. "We had no choice. We fell into the chasm…"

"Where did it go?"

I looked at Annabeth. She leaned back.

"Annabeth, think about the one place in Tartarus that's deeper than the Pit. A place that would be Aelia's _worst living nightmare_."

Annabeth thought about it for a moment. Then she paled. "You don't mean…"

I nodded sadly. "That's right. We fell into the Realm of Nyx."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Malcolm's POV

Annabeth was silent for a ten second count. Her eyes were wide. She seemed paralyzed.

"Annabeth? Are you okay?" I asked.

She snapped out of it. She gazed at me.

"Malcolm… what did she mean, when she said that she couldn't see anything, yet she saw everything?" She asked me.

"You heard that?"

Annabeth nodded.

I took a deep breath. This was the hardest part of all. "Aelia was certain that whatever was down there, we couldn't see it. But, we needed someone's eyes to be open so we could see… I offered, but she refused. Aelia had to keep her eyes open the whole time we were down there. She was forced to see things no one should _ever_ see…"

Annabeth looked down. "She… did all of that? For me?"

I nodded. "We were taken captive by Lady Nyx… She tortured us with our fears… She threatened to kill me. Aelia was tied up in chains, forced to watch one her biggest fears while she was in the _dark_. Aelia… she tried to strike a deal, but she failed. You see, this was after you and Percy ran into Nyx. She was suspicious and wouldn't fall for another deception again. Aelia got angry. Somehow… she broke the chains. She almost killed Nyx, she came shockingly close, but then an _aurai_ knocked her out. Nyx freed me, but told me I had to leave Aelia behind. Or else she'd kill both of us. I-I didn't know what to do, so I pretended to leave. When Aelia woke up, she found me gone, and found herself wrapped in tighter chains. She went wild. Nyx showed her biggest fears, had her live through them. She almost went insane. But-but I eventually got the chance to save her. We managed to escape by getting lost in the Palace of Night. She was practically _lifeless_ , Annabeth." I was crying now.

Annabeth remained silent.

"She was so pale… so cold. Her eyes were pure black, but I could see the fear in them. Yet, she held on. She managed to lead me towards a worm hole. We made it out, but we were still trapped down there. Aelia suggested we climb all the way up to Tartarus. So we did, almost died trying, but we did it. We hadn't eaten in days, and her sword arm was broken because of a fall."

"When we stumbled upon Damasen's swamp… and learned that he refused to help you, Aelia was furious. Damasen gave her some ambrosia and some drakon soup, but she literally _threatened_ him to help you guys. He offered safe passage to the mortal world, but she wouldn't have any of it. She had him swear on the River Styx to help you guys. He couldn't worm his way out of it. He swore. Aelia was pleased, so we left. After that, we fell unconscious. I don't know how, and neither did Aelia, but we woke up, and we were on one of the walls of the chasm. Since we had nowhere to go, we were forced to climb up."

Annabeth gaped. "She had to climb up a steep chasm… with a broken arm?"

I nodded. "Sure, the ambrosia helped her a little, but it was still sore for her. We finally made it up, and ended up in Tallahassee. We… we were so relieved, Annabeth. I don't know if we can ever go underground again…" My eyes stung with tears.

"After we resurfaced, the first thing we did was visit her old house. It felt so good to see her happy. It was still there, mostly intact. She showed me her old bedroom and everything. The house surprisingly still had running water. We showered and got into better clothes… but… Aelia was never the same. She seems haunted, and she never wanted to be alone in the dark ever again, because it reminded her of when she woke up down there, and I was gone." My voice cracked.

Annabeth ahd silent tears running down her face by now. She held up her hand. "Don't-don't tell me anything more. I think that's enough." Her voice shook.

I nodded and left her on the docks. I went back to the Big House.

When I went into her room, Aelia was just waking up. Her hair was messier than usual, and her eyes were red rimmed. She yawned and smacked her mouth.

Aelia looked over at me. She smiled sadly. I went over to her and sat down.

"You okay now?" I whispered.

She nodded a bit and put her head in my lap. I looked down on her, our eyes locked.

"I was thinking…"

"Go on?"

"Why do you put up with me?" She asked.

I was shocked. "What do you mean?"

Aelia sat up. "Why do you put up with me and my foolish drama? Like, you told me not to go after Annabeth and Percy when they fell into Tartarus, but I didn't listen to you. We-we were almost _killed_ Malcolm, but still, you came after me. I almost cost you your life, yet you're always here with me, right by my side. Sometimes, it has me wondering: Why do you stay with me? All I do is cause trouble. All I do is put you in danger. Why not go for another girl who-"

I cut her off with a kiss. I reached into her hair and held the back of her head, where her head meets her neck. She seemed surprised at first, but eventually melted into my embrace. When I pulled away, I grasped Aelia's hands and looked deep into her eyes. Our foreheads rested against each other's, our breaths mixed.

"You're kidding right? Aelia, you were willing to _die_ for me. You were willing to face your greatest fears, so I wouldn't have to face mine. You were willing to risk your life for my little sister. You were willing to fight for her, and never get the credit. You're amazing, Aelia Troy. Sure, you can be stubborn, but your other traits make up for it. I don't know where my life would be without you here. Sure, you really need to be kept in line-"

She leaned back and stuck out her tongue. I chuckled and continued.

"But without you, I'd be dead. Noelle would be dead. _Percy and Annabeth_ would be dead. The whole world would've been conquered by Gaea. You saved countless lives because you didn't listen to me and you went and threatened Damasen. But that's not the reason why I put up with you." I leaned in and gave her another soft kiss.

"I put up with you because I love you, and nothing can ever change that."

Aelia smiled. "I love you too."

We held each other in our arms, and stayed like that for the rest of the day.

That is, until a conch horn blew for campfire.

Another session of memories. And who knows what this one will bring.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Aelia's POV

After I got dressed in my combat boots, black jeans, and my Goode Performing Arts Prep issue hoodie, I strapped Sunstorm and Goldfyre to my waist and grabbed Malcolm's hand. I was still pretty shaken up from my "day terror" this morning. Never in my life had I felt so helpless.

Malcolm squeezed my hand, as if reading my thoughts. I gave him a grateful smile as we continued to our reluctant trek to the amphitheater.

When we arrived, everyone was already gathered there. Our foot steps echoed far and wide on the stones. All eyes turned to us.

My heart almost stopped.

In each of their eyes. Every single last _one of them_ , was pity.

My fists clenched involuntarily. Don't they know that most people _despise_ pity?

Malcolm put a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, you're scaring them." He advised me with a whisper.

I took a deep breath and nodded. We silently walked to our usual seats, ignoring the hundreds of stares that were glued to our bodies. We sat down, our hands never leaving the other.

Soon after, the Olympians appeared.

Apollo sent me a worried glance, but I kept my eyes straight ahead.

Hera clapped her hands, and the next memory began.

 **Memory #7**

 **The screen showed Aelia, Malcolm, Mark, and Leana what looked like a year later. Aelia looked around 8 or 9. Her hair was slightly longer, and her scar was older. Her sword seemed a bit smaller now that she was bigger.**

 **The group was seemed to around the San Francisco Bay Area. They were laughing, until a roar chilled the air. They stopped, their smiles faded.**

 **Leana drew her swords, the kids drew their knives, and Mark knocked an arrow.**

" **What is that?" Aelia whispered. Malcolm shrugged and placed a finger over his lips.**

 **She nodded.**

 **The group inched closer warily. Shouts could be heard.**

" **Take the back! I'll distract it!" A female voice called.**

" **Got it!" Another one answered.**

 **The group rounded the corner. They gasped at what they saw.**

 **The monster was a Cyclops, that was obvious. But it was the two girls who were battling it that surprised them.**

 **The first one had strawberry blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes. She gripped a bronze sword. Her hair was tangled and clung to her forehead with sweat. She looked around 6 or 7.**

 **The other girl seemed more ferocious. She had light brown skin, hazel eyes, and black hair. She was clutching a gold sword. Every once and awhile a** **SPQR tattoo would reveal itself, along with four parallel lines beneath it.**

Campers gasped in recognition at Chloe Hudson and Moriah Ramsey. The girls smiled at each other.

 **They seemed to be holding themselves pretty well, despite their tattered clothes and their exhausted expressions. Together they killed the Cyclops.**

" **Nice, Ramsey." Chloe held up her fist. Moriah obliged. They turned and noticed the kids and teenagers that were staring at them.**

 **Their hands instantly flew to their swords.**

" **Who are you?" Chloe demanded.**

 **Aelia held up her hands. "Chill out, red head. We come in peace."**

 **Chloe scowled at the nickname. Malcolm rolled his eyes,**

" **Forget about the nickname, Aelia here is stubborn when it comes to nicknames. You can forget about getting her to say your real name." he shot a dirty look at the daughter of Apollo.**

 **Aelia smirked. "So nice to know that you understand me so well, Blondie."**

 **Malcolm swatted her arm, she stuck out her tongue in response.**

"You guys were flirting even back then? Gods." Jessie asked me.

I gave her the finger. She laughed.

" **Who are you guys?" Mark asked.**

" **What's it to you?" Moriah shot back.**

 **Leana chose a different approach. "As Aelia said, we come in peace. We're like you guys, we battle monsters and move from place to place. You can join us, if you want."**

 **Moriah and Chloe seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. Moriah nodded.**

" **Okay. I'm Moriah Ramsey, this is my friend, Chloe Hudson. I'm from Camp-"**

 **Chloe slapped a hand over her mouth. "Moriah! You swore you wouldn't tell that secret! The gods will have your soul!"**

"We're not _that_ cruel." Zeus grumbled.

That raised many eyebrows.

"Oh really? So chaining someone on top of a mountain and having his livers eaten out everyday by eagles and then reformed at night only to be eaten out the next day for all eternity just because he gave fire to humans isn't cruel?" Percy asked, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows reaching for the sky.

Zeus mumbled inaudible curses under his breath but didn't answer.

 **Moriah's eyes widened. "Sorry!" She cleared her throat. "I'm from around here, but Chloe was born in Houston. We used to know this other girl, Jessie. We thought she was like us, but one night… Her mom got** _ **really**_ **mad… and well… we never saw her again."**

" **She** _ **killed**_ **her own daughter?" Leana shrieked.**

" **Huh? Oh gods no! They moved away to Arkansas, I think."**

" **Oh."**

" **So, are you in or not? I'm getting hungry." Aelia frowned and folded her arms over her chest.**

" **You're** _ **always**_ **hungry, Fattalicious." Malcolm muttered.**

Cue chuckles, snickers, and straight out laughs everywhere.

 **Aelia glared murderously at the son of Athena. "** _ **Excuse me**_ **?** _ **What. Did. You. Say?"**_ **She growled.**

"You know, I was about to pass out when you said that." Malcolm told his girlfriend. Everyone jumped, forgetting the couple was even there.

"Why?" Aelia asked.

Many campers gaped at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Aelia, you are one of the most _terrifying_ demigods I've ever met. And I've met some _pretty terrifying_ demigods." Leo explained, his gaze sliding over to Annabeth. She raised an eyebrow at him. He quickly looked away.

"Oh…" Aelia nodded. Then she smirked. "Ego boost!"

Malcolm face palmed. "Of course we needed that, as if your ego wasn't already sky high."

Aelia punched his shoulder and lovingly laid her head on it. Malcolm pecked her forehead and motioned for Hera to continue.

" **Nothing! I said** _ **absolutely nothing**_ **!" Malcolm raised his hands in defeat, even though his eyes said otherwise.**

 **Aelia looked skeptical but turned around nevertheless. A string of muttered curses trickled out of Malcolm's mouth.**

"Language!" Athena scolded.

Malcolm nodded.

" **Language!" Leana scolded.**

 **Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Right… because we haven't heard you burn your tongue on coffee, Leana. Please, you can curse like a sailor."**

 **The girl turned red, but didn't answer.**

" **So… we're done? We can go now? Get some food? Like a sandwich or something?" Aelia asked.**

 **Mark nodded, and the group walked off, Moriah and Chloe getting comfortable with their new family.**

"That's it? That was only 5 minutes long!" Clarisse complained.

"Yes, that's it Clara Ladenburg, free time until curfew. Now run along before I turn you into an Atlantic bottlenose." Mr. D. answered.

"It's Clarisse La Rue." The daughter of Ares muttered. But she still got up and left alongside the rest of the campers.

"Well, that was pretty mild." Malcolm said.

I nodded.

"Race you to Half Blood Hill." He taunted.

"Oh you're _so_ gonna lose." I said, already taking off.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!"

"You can eat my dust, Blondie!" Was all that I responded.

The we ran for the hills, tackling the other and messing with each other's hair, before locking eyes lovingly. And then the process would start over again, one getting up, dashing for the pine tree, and the other one sprinting after him.

"They make a good couple, don't you think?" A voice appeared beside Percy.

"Huh? Oh.. Aelia and Malcolm… yeah." He nodded.

"It sucks for them though, they have such bad luck…" Annabeth shook her head.

"What do you mean? Worse than us?"

"Just as bad, if not, than yeah, worse. Malcolm told me why Aelia went crazy this morning…" She trailed off, a single tear rolled down her cheek, much to Percy's surprise. She shook her head. "Aelia's sacrificed so much this past summer only… Who knows how much she's been through ever since she ran away… I mean, having you mother die in your arms should be enough for a life time, but… willingly going to Hell for a girl she never met… that's… amazing…"

Percy's eyebrows knit. "What do you mean?"

Annabeth gazed at her boyfriend. "I'll tell you tomorrow… I'm still processing the information…"

"Um… okay?"

Annabeth laughed and placed a kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "Good night, Seaweed Brain."

"Same to you, Wise Girl."

She chuckled and walked off into the darkness.

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading this chapter! I'll try to have one up by at least Wednesday! If not, then next Saturday! But forget about that, MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ARSGURD COMES OUT ON TUESDAY! YASSSS! I preordered it on my iPad, but Idek if it went through, bc I've been having credit card probs. It sucks! But anyways! Here's chapter 15! Good night my beautiful lovelies!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Aelia's POV

It was obvious that I touched the tree trunk first, but Malcolm Mallet just wouldn't stop complaining, which ruined my victory.

"Had a headstart…cheated…totally unfair…" He muttered to himself as he trudged down the hill behind me.

I grinned and spun around.

"Oof!" Malcolm didn't look where he was going and slammed into me. We tumbled onto the soft grass. I smiled to myself and rested my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

I think he forgot about his being indignant, because he landed a kiss in my hair.

"Are you happy now, Grinch?" I questioned him, lifting my head to innocently stare into his eyes.

Malcolm looked torn between flipping me off, kissing me again, turning red, or ignoring me.

I laughed and got up. I held out my hand. "C'mon, ya big lug. We should be getting to bed, before the harpies devour our livers."

Malcolm rolled his eyes but grasped his hand in mine anyways. I pulled him up.

He had his payback though. He swung me up on his shoulders (I know, _again_ ), which caused me to screech in surprise.

"Malcolm! What the- Put me down!" I yelled.

"Ha, ha. Nope." He laughed.

I debated whether to kick him or not, then decided against it. Hey, it was a free ride. I'm not complaining anymore.

Lights turned on in dark cabins as campers crowded around the windows to watch Malcolm parading me around camp, practically _inviting_ the harpies to come and devour us.

He sharply turned, causing me to slip down his back.

"Malcolm!"

He didn't answer, and sharply turned again, nearly throwing me off his shoulder.

"Malcolm Dean!"

Once again, Malcolm had no response, and he gave another sharp turn. By now he was holding onto my ankles as my hands were ghosting over the dirt. I no longer had the chance to kick him in the groin.

" _Malcolm Timothy Dean._ I swear to Athena that if you don't put me down I _will_ tear your-"

"Okay."

He dropped me to the ground with a thud.

"Ouch." I mumbled.

I looked up. Malcolm was standing over me with a half smile over his face.

"Is that better, Lia?" He asked.

My eyes narrowed. His eyes widened. I casually took out Goldfyre.

"You know… it would such a shame if you… oh I don't know… got gutted or something." I gave him an evil glare.

"Ae-Aelia… calm down… seriously… chill… chill out." Malcolm backed up.

I stood up to meet him. He wheezed and took off running.

"Don't think you can get away from me, Dean!" I screamed after him. He yelped and sprinted faster.

 **xxxXXXxxxXXXxxx**

I have to admit, Malcolm can run fast. Faster than me? Nah. But fast enough for me to be chasing him for a good 20 minutes straight.

I tackled him. We crashed to the ground. I straddled his chest, digging my elbow into his throat.

"Well, well, well. Look who got caught by the big bad daughter of Apollo." I smirked.

Malcolm struggled and turned pale.

I grinned. "Aww, is someone getting scared? I think I can fix that." I removed my elbow from his throat. I started to lean in.

Big mistake on my part.

Malcolm flipped me over. Before I knew it, my back was pressed against a tree. His eyes were trained on my lips. My eyes glued to his. He slowly ghosted a thumb over my lips as he gazed longingly at them. Malcolm began to close the gap between us.

Our lips brushed against each other. My heart did jumping jacks. Then I closed in. Malcolm pressed his lips against mine. I shivered in delight and tangled a hand in his hair.

His palms set against the curve of my waist. He drove me closer to him. Our lips moved in sync. My breaths came faster.

I slipped my hand away from his hair, and then circled my arms around his neck, bringing him even closer to me. Malcolm smiled against my lips and fixed his hands in the curve of my back this time.

He twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. I set my hands gently on his chest, as if I were going to push him away.

As if I would do that.

His lips were intoxicating. I felt giddy. We continued to kiss, our bodies never loosing contact at any time.

When we pulled away, we were both breathing hard. Malcolm set his forehead against mine. Our breaths mixed as we stared into each other's eyes. I gazed at his beautiful gray orbs, filled with passion and love. My heart thumped against my chest.

Malcolm leaned in again. "I love you," He muttered against my lips.

He pulled away again. "I love you." He repeated.

My eyes stung with tears, even though I didn't know why. I wrapped my arms around his chest and rested my head in the crook of his neck. I pressed my lips to his jaw.

"I love you too," I whispered.

 _I love you too_.

Malcolm's POV

My heart stopped when Aelia tackled me. I was panting from the run when I landed on my back with a thud, the ground welcoming my backside with crossed arms.

I gazed up at her, still breathing hard, and my heart stopped again, though for a different reason.

Her gray eyes were swirling with mischief, her gold flecks glimmering; creating a light all on their own. Her scar glinted in the moonlight, and her messy midnight black hair seemed sleeker than ever. She smirked. My heart pounded.

Why did she have to be so beautiful?

She straddled my chest and pressed her elbow to my throat, which I was grateful for. If I had the ability to talk or even breathe right now, I would've been stuttering like a fool.

Aelia smirked again. My heart sped faster. "Well, well, well, look who got caught by the big bad daughter of Apollo."

I almost smiled. _This_ was the Aelia Troy that I knew: the taunting, fierce, dangerous, sarcastic, loveable girl who I fell in love with when we were 11.

I quickly glanced at her daggers and gulped. She was scary too.

Definitely scary.

I squirmed and felt the blood drain from my face. In this position, she could easily kill me. But she wouldn't.

Right?

Aelia grinned. "Aww, is someone scared? I think I can fix that." She removed her elbow from my throat and began to lean in.

Too soon, I figured out what was happening. This was my chance to seize control.

I don't know how it happened, but I ended up trapping her between a tree and myself. She drew in a sharp intake of air out of surprise, but I didn't notice. My eyes were focused on her lips.

Her lips. Pink, always puckered, yet thin at the same time.

I felt my chest swell with love. I dragged a thumb over her soft lips. My eyes flickered over to hers. They were glued to my own lips.

Slowly, as if cautious, I leaned in to close the gap between us. Our lips brushed up against each other. My heart thumped.

Aelia closed in on me. I pressed my lips to hers. My heart continued to perform gymnastics. She shivered a bit and wove a hand through my hair.

I loved it when she did that.

I wrapped my palms around the curves of her waist and drew her closer. Our breaths were coming faster, a lot faster.

I was disappointed when she drew her hand away from my hair, but that vanished when she wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled a little and fixed my hands on the small of her back. A lock of her wavy black hair tickled my hand. I wrapped it around my finger lovingly.

Aelia removed her arms from my neck and placed her hands to my chest. I thought she was going to push me away, but surprisingly she didn't do that.

We stayed like that for awhile, though I don't know how long. I sensed that the campers were beginning to turn their lights back off around now.

Our lips moved in sync. I cupped her cheek, never wanting the kiss to end. She was like a drug, only way better. I loved being with Aelia, despite of how stubborn… ehem… _persistent_ she could be.

I think we decided to pull away at the same time, because our lips drew away from each other in unison.

We were both panting. I pressed my forehead against hers and gazed into her eyes. Our breaths mingled; our lips barely inches apart.

Aelia's eyes usually reflect on what she's feeling. I stared into her gray eyes. The gold flecks shined with passion. My heart did somersaults.

I softly kissed her. "I love you," I murmured against her lips.

I pulled away. Her eyes were glowing brightly in the moonlight.

"I love you," I repeated.

Aelia's eyes stung with tears. Tears of joy? Tears of love? I'll never know. She quietly sighed with content and wrapped her arms around my chest. She laid her head in the crook of my neck and pecked my jaw.

Her soft breaths tickled my collarbone as she finally spoke.

"I love you too," She whispered.

Memories of promises swam in my thoughts.

 _I love you too_.

 _Here together…_

 _Friends forever._

 _Something's were meant to be…_

 _And that's you and me…_

 _I love you too…_

 _I promise._

I thought back to what happened over the summer. I wasn't sure if I had the courage to hold onto Aelia. But now I know. Now I was sure.

This was the girl I loved. This was the girl I wanted to marry.

And I would never let go, even if it killed me in the process.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Was this enough fluff for you guys? I swear I feel like I'm reading a Percabeth fic right now because we all know that this is what would exactly happen in a Percabeth fluff chapter. I'm crying right now. This is too beautiful! I might keep this for myself and give you guys some blood and gore.**

 **Just kidding! I love you all!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Do you think I should continue to write in this style, like, the point of views from two people over the same thing? I enjoy writing what goes on in Aelia and Malcolm's minds as they kiss…**

 **Okay that sounded wrong…**

 **Awkward…**

 **Anyways! Thank you WinterStormArt for the words of encouragement, I love you! Thank you PrincessArgoII for the reviews, and thank you everyone else who has stuck with me so far!**

 **Keep reading and writing! I love you all to pieces.**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Aelia's POV

I never remembered going back to the Big House last night, but it clearly happened, because when I woke up, I realized I was lying in a comfortable bed. Sunlight basked in the window. The air was warm.

When the clouds shifted and the sunrays hit me, I felt my head become clearer, my senses sharper, and the air seemed to taste a little sweeter.

That's what light does to me. Sort of like Percy and water, except it can't heal me… well, not very much.

I heard soft snoring from my side. I looked over and had to stifle a chuckle.

Malcolm was curled up next to me. His hand was still lingering on the curves of my side, so I guessed that I was sleeping with my head on his chest.

I smiled and then bit my lip. I never realized it before, but I _really_ enjoyed listening to Malcolm's heart beat. It calmed me down.

I looked back over at the window. Judging by how far the sun was over the tree line, and the type of light, I guessed it was early morning, around 6:00.

I turned back to my boyfriend. He stirred in his sleep and shifted onto his sides.

Malcolm must've felt that I wasn't there, because he subconsciously took a hand and began feeling around for me. When his fingertips brushed up against me (my inner thigh, no less), he moaned.

"Come back to bed…" He murmured, half asleep.

I once again stifled a chuckle. I leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips. He didn't stir.

I sighed and flopped backwards. Malcolm shifted again and pulled me against him.

I was now in the same position as him, facing the same direction. He pressed his pelvis against my butt, which caused me to turn red. I felt bare skin resting on my back. With a shocking realization, I understood what was happening.

He was _shirtless_.

I blushed harder and tried not to think about it. Malcolm draped an arm over my midsection and intertwined his fingers in mine. I pressed a kiss to the back of his hand.

Malcolm grunted but said nothing. I felt his breath tickling the back of my neck.

He leaned in, still half asleep, and pressed a kiss to the top of my back, right where my neck meets my spine. I shivered. I felt him smile and pull away.

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, because hey, I had time before breakfast. What's the rush? No need to hurry.

 **xxxXXXxxxXXXxxx**

When I woke up the second time, Malcolm was awake also. He was playing with my hair.

I yawned and smacked my lips (I know, I'm _such_ a sap). He looked over at me and grinned.

"Good morning, beautiful." He told me.

I chuckled. "Good morning. Not looking too shabby yourself, might I add."

Malcolm laughed. I glazed over his chest, which was covered in scars. I remember when I first saw them. I flipped out. But eventually, I got used to them. I reached up and traced a finger along them. Malcolm shivered and grabbed my hand.

I pulled away and stuck out my tongue. "Sorry, Blondie, I'd love to, but I have to brush my teeth."

He just stuck out his tongue in response. I laughed and went to brush my teeth.

When I returned, Malcolm was in the same position, only facing the other way. His eyes traveled up my form, which caused me to blush.

"Looking good, Aelia," He teased.

I turned even redder and glanced down at my outfit. Nothing much, black boy shorts and a silver tank top.

Funny, I don't remember changing into these.

I said nothing and got back into bed. Malcolm greeted me with a kiss, short and sweet, nothing too passionate. It was more of a good morning kiss than anything else. I gladly kissed him back.

"So… today's plans," Malcolm asked.

"We begin training today. Because in the five days that we've been here, the gang and I haven't even _jogged_. I'm getting out of shape."

Malcolm chuckled and kissed me again, more passionate this time. When he pulled away, he gave me a once over.

"I dunno. You looked pretty in shape to me." He teased.

I punched him in the arm. "Try not to drool." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not making any promises."

"Of course."

"Ha-ha."

I reached over and grabbed his face in my hands. I don't know what came over me (probably Aphrodite syndrome). I kissed him passionately (yeah, definitely Aphrodite syndrome. Never in my right mind would I act like this).

Malcolm got up and hovered over me. I slid a leg up, so my right leg was perched, like a tent. He trailed his hand up my hamstring, his lips never leaving mine.

I locked my hands around his neck, never wanting to let go. Our breaths were heavy with wanting. Needing. Passion. _Love_.

He set his thumbs on my hairline. I sighed against his lips.

"I love you," I mumbled. I don't think I'd ever get tired of saying those three words to him. Malcolm slowly lowered against me. His chest pressed against mine.

We continued to kiss. He lowered his head and began sucking the skin right below my collarbone. I didn't know what to do with my hands, so I tangled them in his sleep messy hair, running my fingers through the strands.

All of that affectionate bliss ended when the door flew open and the Stolls came in.

Malcolm and I broke apart, red faced. I sat up, frantically combing the hair out of my face, not caring of my less than appropriate clothing.

"Are you guys decent?" Connor asked, covering up his eyes with his hand.

I would have appreciated the gesture if he weren't peeking through his split fingers.

"I hope we aren't interrupting anything important." Travis grinned.

"Shut up, Travis!" I growled, though I doubt it came out as more angry than embarrassed. He laughed.

"Chiron wants you guys for breakfast." They said. We nodded.

"And make sure you're wearing appropriate clothing, _Aelcolm._ " They giggled.

I screamed and chucked a pillow at them. The door closed right before it smacked against the wood.

"Gods of Olympus, help me. I'm going to murder those two." I mumbled.

Malcolm nodded with a smile and got up, revealing what he was wearing.

Which was nothing.

I blushed.

He was completely naked.

Ha-ha, _pysch_!

Got ya!

You perverted sucka.

Malcolm was wearing boxers. I slipped out of bed myself to get dressed.

 **xxxXXXxxxXXXxxx**

Malcolm and I strolled into the mess hall, hand in hand. I was dressed in my cargo shorts, black Converses, and a camp tee shirt. Since today we were training, I had slung my silver bow over my shoulder along with my quiver. I strapped my white gold daggers to my side.

Malcolm was wearing a simple camp tee shirt, cargo shorts, and his red Converses. His bronze sword was strapped to his waist.

We plunked down at our usual table. Connor and Travis winked at us from the Hermes table. I blushed and discretely flipped them off, a talent that I had mastered over the years (don't ask).

They laughed but turned away. I gazed at my friends around the table. Chloe had her bow and quiver slung over my back, like me, Dylan was thumbing his sword before he slid it under his shield that was strapped to his back, Devin was doing the same to his spear, Noelle wasn't paying attention to her swords, Moriah was fiddling with her daggers, and Jessie had her hammer fixed on her shoulders in one hand and scooped a spoon of cereal with the other.

I smiled at this. A bit of milk had dribbled down her chin, and a few crumbs of cereal had made a home at the corners of her mouth.

Only Jessie.

I willed a small stack of pancakes to appear on my plate. A cup filled itself with hot chocolate.

And no, it's _never_ too early for hot chocolate.

I sipped it. A warm feeling spread in my chest.

Just like my mom made it.

I glanced over at Malcolm. He was picking at his food.

"You okay, Blondie?"

He looked up, surprised. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He lied.

I rolled my eyes. "You should know better than to lie to me, Dean,"

Malcolm started to turn away, but I grabbed his face (charming, I know) in my hands and forced him to look at me. I hugged his face in my hands. Our eyes met. "What's wrong, Malcolm?"

He sighed and puffed his cheeks out. I laughed a little and gave him a sideways smile. But the message was clear: _Get your hands off my face, please_.

I obliged, but continued to stare at him. "Malcolm…"

He looked down. When his eyes forced their way back to mine, I saw a flash of regret… and was that… guilt?

He glanced around, as if making sure no one was listening. "I'll tell you after training. Promise."

I skeptically nodded. "Okay… if you promise…" I gazed at him warily.

He nodded and turned back to his sausages. I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

He turned back to me, surprised. "What was that for?"

I gave him a crooked grin. "For everything. All these years… I'm surprised you survived living with me."

He laughed. It was like music to my ears. "I've been asking myself the same question since we were 9."

I punched his shoulder and playfully glared. "Don't push it, buddy. I can still maim you if I wanted."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "Oh please, you know you couldn't live without me."

My glee came crashing down. "You're right."

Malcolm realized what he said. "Oh my gods, I'm so sorry! I didn't think about what I was saying and it sort of just came out and-"

I put two fingers to his lips. "No need to apologize, Blondie. You were just speaking the truth."

"Still… I-I'm sorry for what I did…"

I tried for a smile, but I think it came out as a grimace. "You were only trying to do the right thing, Malcolm. Besides, everything worked out, right? You outsmarted Perilantis, I got you back, I got my wish, you got yours…" I trailed off.

"And I nearly killed you emotionally in the process…" Malcolm muttered.

"You do that to me all the time, Dean. Don't go beating yourself up over things that happen daily. That's like feeling eternally guilty for stealing someone's breakfast." I nudged him.

He cracked a ghost of a smile. "Well… okay…"

I nodded. "Good. Now let me finish eating, I have a lot of training to do today."

I pecked him on the lips and continued to eat my breakfast. I caught the eye of the Stolls again; they made sarcastic kissy faces at me. I turned red and glared at them.

They laughed silently and turned back to their siblings.

I kept my cool. They won't be laughing when I murder them in their sleep.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I know, this isn't as long as they usually are, but I'm having a writer's block at the moment, which explains why I'm literally only posting fluff chapters right now. I'm fresh out of ideas… well I have an idea, a** _ **good**_ **idea, but I just don't know how to weave it into the story line. It's annoying as hell.**

 **ANYWAYS, I have more pressing matters to discuss. I read a review… I think by… TideLiverPool… (?) or something like that… Anyways, this person thinks that Aelia is a Mary Sue, which is one of the MAIN REASONS WHY I'M HAVING A WRITER'S BLOCK RIGHT NOW. I read their review, then thought back to my earlier chapters, and then I realized that they might be right and I'm all like "Oh my god! She sorta** _ **IS**_ **Mary Sue! The horror!"**

 **But do you guys think that Aelia is a Mary Sue? I hope she isn't. But if she is, then oh well, because I'd have to change this** _ **whole**_ **story and some things just ain't worth it. Sorry TideLiverPool, but no one asked you to read this story, and no one asked you to like it. If you don't find this enjoyable to read, then its best that you just stay the hell away from this fanfic.**

 **That way, everyone wins!**

 **Thanks for all the reviews (except for your** _ **flame**_ **TideLiverPool)! I love all of you guys so so so so so much!** **That's 5 so's for the Heroes of Olympus books (I told you, I'm a die hard fan girl)! Thanks so much for reading, and please review!**

 **So yeah, that's all; because this Author's Note is getting** **really long** **so I'm gonna sign off around here.**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Jessie's POV

I glanced at Aelia and Malcolm out of the corner of my eye. Aelia was studying us. Her eyes fell on me. I stopped a little. She took notice of something on my face and grinned to herself. Then she turned and shoveled a fork of pancakes into her mouth.

I quickly wiped my mouth and felt a colony of crumbs and some spilt milk.

Embarrassing…

I blushed a little and tuned back into Devin and Dylan's argument.

I wish I hadn't, as I am now mentally scarred.

"Bro, it's _so_ possible to puke upside down." Dylan insisted.

Chloe slapped the back of his neck. His head shot forward into his cereal. Noelle and Moriah laughed, Devin bit his lip to keep from laughing, and I just shook my head in sympathy.

"Some of us are actually _trying_ to keep our food in our stomachs, Dylan." Chloe scolded.

Dylan scowled. "Sure thing, _Mom_." He grumbled.

Chloe stuck out her tongue, leaned in, and licked his cheek. He howled. We all broke into fits of laughter. Dylan was furiously scrubbing his cheek while shooting Chloe dirty looks.

Said girl just smiled innocently back.

"Only my _girlfriend_ can lick my cheeks, Chloe." He told her, chin raised.

I cackled. "That sounded _so wrong_ , Dylan."

His face flushed. "Well…"

"Don't worry, babe, your cheeks are mine." I reassured him in a deep voice.

Another round of laughter.

I sobered up a bit and gazed out into the valley. The lake glittered in the morning sunlight. The many, many, many cabins were spotless (at least on the outside). I studied the rest of the camp. I sighed in content.

This whole place, it radiated peacefulness. It just screamed _home_. I could see why Malcolm loved it here. Everything seemed amazing.

My eyes once again fell on Aelia and Malcolm. They seemed to be having a heart-to-heart. Her eyes reflected concern. Malcolm looked down. When he gazed back up at her, I something flash in his eyes. I was close enough to see regret and… guilt?

I didn't hear their words, but I could read people easy enough to see that he was apologizing. What for? No idea.

Aelia smiled a little and seemingly rebuffed it. After a few more words, they broke apart and focused on their food.

Soon after, they were done. Malcolm slung an arm around her shoulders and pecked her temple. She gave him a crooked smile.

I sighed again. They were meant to be.

Sure, they were no _Percabeth_ (I doubt anyone can top them), but they were the closest you could get.

Malcolm whispered something in her ear. She cracked another smile and bit her lip, trying desperately (and failing) to hide it. Malcolm grinned smugly in triumph. She rolled her eyes, but it was clear that she was dying on the inside (the happy kind… not the angst kind…).

Aelia leaned over a snagged a bite of his pancakes. Malcolm frowned in protest and muttered, "Thief."

Aelia smirked and wiped her mouth before saying, "Guilty as charged, ma'am."

I snorted. Everyone else looked at me strangely, but I waved them off and continued to focus on Aelia and Malcolm.

I know, I know, I'm being weird, but come on, I bet _you've_ never seen Aelcolm having a moment before. Even though their attention is on each other, they pull in other people's gazes without realizing it.

Sort of like a deeply in love celebrity couple, without the fame, fashion, and money.

Malcolm's jaw dropped. He pouted. Aelia laughed loudly.

The sun seemed to shine a bit warmer when she laughed. The air smelled a little sweeter. I felt happier. More confident.

And I wasn't the only one who noticed this. As soon as Aelia laughed, everyone from the neighboring tables turned and stared at her. She turned red and rubbed the back of her neck, her hand disappearing behind her thick curtain of black hair.

I chuckled. The girl was soo not made for attention, despite being a daughter of a former famous singer and actress.

All of a sudden, our food disappeared. I quirked an eyebrow.

"What happened?" Dylan demanded, taking the words right out of my mouth.

Malcolm laughed. "Breakfast is over. It's time to train buddies. I hope I don't get to beat you to the ground _too_ easily."

Aelia smacked the back of his neck. "Don't get cocky, or perhaps Jessie will have to knock some arrogance outta you with her hammer."

I swung my hammer around for good measure.

And almost hit a passing camper in the process.

"Oops! Sorry!" I blushed.

Then we all stood.

Time to train.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, so this is obviously a filler, because my writers block has gotten worse, but I need something to post for you guys. I think this is my, by far, shortest chapter I've ever posted. Hope it wasn't** _ **too**_ **disappointing! Love you guys!**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Jessie's POV

My eyes narrowed. Dylan smirked. I took a deep breath and slumped my shoulders.

"Fine. You win." I grumbled.

Dylan smirked again and let me go. He cautiously lowered his sword. I grinned to myself.

Perfect.

I raised the hammer over my head and sent it smashing into the cobble stones. The floor cracked, the impact wove through the arena. Slowly, slowly, burgundy and gold flames licked across the ground, dancing, searching for its target.

Within seconds Dylan was surrounded by fire. I pranced through the flames, the fire parted for me. I swung my hammer again and whacked him in the stomach.

"Oof!"

I put my foot on his chest and smirked down at him. He rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Excuse me, but I meant to say: Fine. _I_ win." I smiled.

Dylan rolled his eyes again, but they shined no less. "Whatever, Knolls."

I took my foot off and dropped my hammer. Dylan flew up and had me pinned to the ground.

He pressed his knees to my stomach and his forearm to my throat. I scanned his body, searching for a weak point.

Bingo.

I twisted slightly. He was unbalanced.

Soon I was straddling him, my elbow digging into his neck. "Pinned ya."

"Shut up."

"It's okay, Parker. I mean, dur, anyone as skilled as me is going to beat you effortlessly, son of Ares or not." I stuck out my tongue at him and got up from the floor.

Dylan took my hand and allowed me to pull him up.

I glanced around at the other corner of the arena. I smiled a little bit.

Noelle was going doing hand to hand combat with Moriah. I couldn't tell who was winning, but judging by the bruises and faint cuts, they were tied.

Moriah's black hair was tied back in a messy ponytail- much like Aelia's usually is- and her hazel eyes were tightened in determination.

Noelle seemed at ease. Her sea green eyes sparkled playfully, as if showing that this was a game to her. Her golden blonde hair was braided in a single braid down her back.

Moriah aimed a kick at Noelle's chest. Noelle shifted and caught her foot. She slung Moriah to the ground, but the former legionnaire sprung right back up.

Quick as lightning, she had Noelle trapped in a headlock. Noelle rolled her eyes. She grabbed at Moriah's arms latched around her neck and bent over. Moriah went crashing into the ground.

Moriah got right back up, but Noelle was waiting for her. She leapt up and wrapped her legs around Moriah's neck, doing some sort of kung fu thingy.

She twisted her midsection and flipped Moriah to the ground. Then she got in the same position that I've seen Annabeth in- knees on her chest (wasn't that awkward… you know… because of her… ugh never mind). But her elbow was digging into her throat instead of her forearm.

Noelle smirked down at her and blew a stray hair out of her eyes. She leaned in and whispered something in Moriah's ears.

Moriah seemed to become agitated. Noelle laughed and got up. Moriah decided to pull the same dirty trick that Dylan had tried on me: attacking when the defenders back was turned.

She pinned her arms behind her back. Noelle was trapped. Her eyes flashed in annoyance.

But then, I think she realized something. She swung her leg back (well… forward really) and sent it crashing into Moriah's knees. Before the girl could crumple to the floor, Noelle grabbed her wrist and flipped her over so her back came crashing down. Noelle got down in the same position as earlier, but this time she was even more joking then before. Then she got up and helped Moriah up.

Moriah punched her in the arm and laughed. She said something inaudible, but I heard Noelle say, "You too."

Then Moriah left. I glanced around the arena. Nothing too exciting was going on at the moment.

Chloe and Aelia were having an archery battle (basically those shooting scenes in movies when the people hide behind stuff and shoot at the other person with a gun before quickly hiding again to avoid getting shot) and judging by the blunt knives in her armor, Chloe was pitifully losing.

Malcolm and Annabeth were sparring, bronze against ivory. How the bone sword didn't get sliced up yet, I have no idea.

Devin was sparring with Clarisse and some other Ares kid, and was losing.

I watched through the corner of my eye as Connor Stoll, dressed in a CHB tank top and cargo shorts approached Noelle, who was watching Malcolm and Annabeth intently, arms crossed over her chest and smirk plastered on her face.

She noticed Connor making his way over and she immediately scowled. Connor smirked and said something I couldn't hear. I think that got her even more angered.

Noelle spat something at him. Connor just smirked wider. She threw her eyes up to the ceiling as if begging the gods to take him away. Connor reached for her, but Noelle slapped his hand away and growled another sentence out.

Connor seemed to get angry now. He muttered something and stalked off. Noelle looked torn between going up and flaying him alive, going up and _kissing_ him, and storming off.

She chose the latter decision and stomped out of the arena, eyes blazing. Connor headed off in the opposite direction.

Ah, sexual tension.

I remember when that was Aelia and Malcolm.

Except of course, that included death threats and slaps, but you know…

I turned and walked away from the arena and headed to the showers before I went to the armory and then arts and crafts.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Finally I'm getting somewhere! So yes, I've decided to pair Connor and Noelle. Sorry Connor x Lou Ellen/ Connor x Miranda shippers! But I believe Connor has a different mind from Travis and where the heck did the Connor x Lou Ellen ship come from? Like… bruh.**

 **I know I'm going to have fun with Connor x Noelle! Hope you like it!**

 **Can someone help me come up with a ship name for them? Please put your suggestion in the reviews or PM me, doesn't matter. Thanks love!**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading awesome sauces! I love, love, love, love,** _ **love**_ **you to Venus and back (see what I did there? Venus = Aphrodite! Aphrodite = Goddess of love? No? Okay…)! Until next time!**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Noelle's POV

You know that one person in your life that just doesn't seem to go away?

You know who I'm talking about.

That one person who's always around the corner? Laughing at you? Pulling pranks? Being idiotic? Being just a _plain annoying motherfucker_?

Please excuse my language, but you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Well, that person for me is Connor Stoll.

Katie Gardener thinks that Travis is a handful, ha; I'd trade Connor for Travis any day.

Why?

Well, Travis is a lot more _mature_ , and he knows when to stop, unlike Sir Annoy-A-Lot.

I swear to all the gods that if I find hardened melted white chocolate in my hair _one more time_ , that Connor Stoll is going to get a blast of colorful language in his face and it certainly won't be _pretty_.

I stormed out of the arena, my good mood crashing down faster than a falling tree.

Connor Stoll…

* * *

" _Hey, Noelle! How was your morning? Did you find my present?" Connor asked me, a smug smile on his face._

 _I suddenly had the urge to smack him silly. "Go away, Connor."_

" _Did you like it?"_

" _Leave me alone, Connor."_

" _C'mon, Sunshine, you know you loved it."_

 _I growled at him. "Do_ not _call me Sunshine. And I_ hated _it. Almost as much as I hate_ you _."_

 _Connor frowned. "Geez, I was only trying to be nice."_

" _Nice?_ Nice?! _You poured melted white chocolate in my hair when I was sleeping! You threw flour, water, and feathers on me! You stole my drachmas! If this is you being nice, then I don't want to be around you when you're_ cruel _." I spat._

 _Connor looked like I slapped him in the face. Then he got angry. He opened his mouth to say something. He did say something, but I didn't hear him. I was drunk with anger. I subconsciously slapped his hand away, which got him angrier._

 _Connor growled something at me and stalked off. I tore in the other direction._

* * *

And here I am, down by the docks, watching the naiads doing their underwater weaving.

I pulled my knee to my chest. I didn't understand how I didn't have a splinter yet, as I was barefoot.

The sun beat down on my legs, turning them tanner by the second. It was a good day to wear jean shorts and a camp shirt.

My blonde hair was tied back in a top knot, as I was too lazy to braid it today.

As if I ever braided it.

I heard foot steps behind me. I stiffened, but then relaxed, remembering that I was safe now.

I made out a male voice cursing under his breath. My stomach turned to lead.

Gods of Olympus… did he really have to come _here_?

"What do you want?" I asked without turning around.

"Some peace and quiet."

"Then go to the beach, I want to be alone."

"Why?"

"Because you annoy the hell out of me."

I heard him sigh and sit down next to me. For some reason, I didn't scoot away instantly.

Connor gazed out at the water, studying the lake surface. I studied him out of the corner of my eye.

Brown curls, blue eyes, upturned nose, muscular legs…

He _looked_ like a good person.

But he wasn't; which was a really shame, because if he was a better person, I would totally date him.

What the…?

What was I talking about?

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Connor turned to me. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

I turned to face him. "Oh really? What for?" I replied sarcastically.

"Well… for… for…"

"Who put you up to this, Connor? Who paid you?"

"What do you mean? What-"

"Who writes your lines, Stoll?" I demanded,

Connor looked like I punched him in the gut, but it was too late to take it back.

I felt anger flare up inside me. "See? You don't even know what you feel sorry for! Why? _You aren't sorry_!" I screamed.

I got up and stormed off.

Why did he make me so angry?

Why was he so irritating?

Why was he so annoying?

Why was he so hate-able?

And most importantly, why was he so cute?

* * *

Connor's POV

I watched as Noelle ran away, her bare feet thudding against the wooden docks. I didn't know what to do.

Why was I apologizing? It was fun to prank her.

She deserved it.

Right…?

Totally.

Her golden blonde hair seemed to turn to an amber color as the sun slowly slipped (alliteration, anyone?) under the horizon. I couldn't see them, but I could almost _sense_ her sea green eyes swirling and flashing and darkening like a hurricane.

Her eyes…

So alluring…

And beautiful…

And… what the heck? Why am I thinking this? Noelle's annoying. She's uptight. She's mean. She's hurtful.

But I still couldn't tear my gaze away from her as she stomped back to her cabin. She turned, so I could see that her camp shirt had ridden up, exposing a bit of her tanned stomach. Her jean shorts turned her legs into miles.

I saw her take out her messy top knot and the golden blonde waves tumbled down her back and swished just below her shoulder blades.

Noelle disappeared into her cabin. I got up and shoved my hands into my pockets.

She was so irritable.

She was so insufferable.

She was so annoying.

She was so serious.

She was so cold.

But she was so beautiful.

And that meant I had to dislike her even more.

* * *

Percy's POV

Something's up between Connor Stoll and Noelle Dare, it's obvious. Earlier during dinner, Connor got behind Noelle for the offerings, and he leaned down and whispered something in her ear.

She stiffened and heeled him in the shins before offering her brisket to Iris and giving him the finger and a cold glare before returning to her seat.

Connor seemed even more irritated and stalked back to Hermes. He refused to look over at the Iris table for the whole night. Noelle did the same.

And during campfire, Noelle was talking to Katie, who was sitting next to Travis, who was sitting next to Connor. Connor was giving her evil looks and glares, and Noelle was shooting them right back.

When he saw that, his expression changed and he blew her a kiss. This got her so aggravated that she spun around, mid conversation with Katie, and stomped back to her cabin.

I sense Aphrodite at work.

* * *

Butch's POV

Noelle told me that she has never loved anyone, yet it's pretty clear to me that she's falling for Connor Stoll and Connor the same. Sure, they look prepared to murder the other, but I know sexual tension when I see it.

After all, we all saw what happened with Percy and Annabeth after she got kidnapped right? They were like an emotional roller coaster.

But I doubt anyone can be worse than them.

Noelle kept tossing and turning on her bunk, and whenever I asked her why, she'd scowl at me and ignore the question before continuing to toss and turn.

I heard her muttering Connor's name and a whole string of curses bad enough to make a sailor blush trickling out of her mouth. She'd occasionally get up and punch her bedpost, using it as a punching back.

Most likely imagining it was Connor.

Then she'd sit down and frown at the bunk post before lying back down and resuming the tossing and turning.

And then the cycle would repeat, over and over.

Aphrodite was sneaky. Sneaky indeed.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Was this a bit rushed? I hope not! So I'm still deciding on the ship name. I'm torn between Conelle and Conoelle. Which one is better? PM me or put it in the reviews! Most votes wins!**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter of Marred by My Scars, my little loved one! Hope you liked it! Love yas!**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

Malcolm's POV

My dream started like this.

Everything was really hazy and wavery, as if I was underwater. Unrecognizable faces wobbled and dipped around in my line of vision. I think someone was pacing, because I was seeing the same things over and over.

I heard a door open. The person looked up, so I could see a nurse standing at the opened door.

Where was I? A hospital? A clinic?

"Malcolm Dean?" The lady asked.

My heart stopped as the person who I was seeing through their eyes from stood up.

I'm inside myself?

I couldn't control anything. I turned and saw a little boy. He wasn't very old, 2 years, maybe 3 years old. He had a very faint dash of freckles over his nose and cheeks.

My breath caught. The boy had black hair and gray eyes. Solid gray eyes, like mine.

The person I was inside of held out their hand. The boy grabbed it eagerly.

"Let's go, Lucas, time to meet her." I heard my voice say.

I was shocked; my voice seemed a lot deeper.

"Okay, Daddy." The boy, Lucas said.

My heart stopped again. _This was my son?_

Questions flew around in my head.

 _How old was I? When was this? When will this be? Who was the mother?_

Dream Me laughed and stooped to pick up Lucas. The boy lovingly threw his arms around my neck and I walked to the door.

The nurse smiled at Lucas and glanced at me. "Right this way, please." She told me.

The nurse led me through a maze of halls and doors, until she finally came to a stop at a door in the maternity wing.

Once again, my breath caught.

 _Was the mother of my son behind this door? Was she with another child? What does any of this mean?_

The nurse, oblivious to my hesitation, pushed open the door and walked right in. I took a deep breath and followed suit.

My eyes turned to the bed immediately. Sitting on the bed was a lady who looked to be around either her late 20's or early 30's, I couldn't decide.

Her black hair was tied up on the top of her head in a messy top knot.

The hospital sheets were resting against her waist as she relaxed into the pillows. She looked bone tired, but her smile revealed all her joy as she looked at something in her arms.

In her arms was a little bundle, swaddled in blankets and a little hat peeking over the edge.

Then I heard it. A baby's cry. A baby's first cry.

Emotion exploded in my chest and spread through my stomach. The lady who had obviously just given birth was crying tears of joy. She leaned in and pressed her lips to it's forehead.

"I love you." She whispered to the baby.

Then she looked up.

To say I was surprised would be the understatement of the century.

The lady had gray eyes with gold flecks surrounding the pupils. An x shaped scar was tattooed onto her sun kissed left cheek.

Aelia.

It was Aelia.

I don't think I've ever been more happy in my life.

Aelia's eyes lit up when she saw me. "Malcolm! I'm so glad you're here! Come, meet Andi."

I felt Dream Me grin and walked over. She handed me the baby.

"Oh my gods. She's beautiful." My voice cracked.

I don't think I've ever been more proud in my life.

She was a girl. I saw a tiny tuft of honey blonde hair poking out from under her hat. She yawned. And then she opened her eyes.

"Aw, her eyes…" Aelia didn't have to go any further. I knew exactly what she meant.

Andi's eyes were bluish gray and much like her mother, had tiny gold flecks around the pupils.

I handed Andi back to Aelia. She beckoned Lucas forward. Lucas shyly climbed onto a chair I had pulled over and sat beside his mother.

Aelia smiled tenderly at him. "Look, Lucas, you have a baby sister now. Say hi to Andi."

Lucas looked at his little sister. His face broke into a grin. "Hi, Dani!"

Aelia laughed. "Not Dani, Lucas. Her name is Andi."

Lucas nodded. "Hi, Andi! I am your big brother."

Andi yawned in response.

Lucas gave her a sloppy kiss on the forehead.

I think my heart broke just then.

"So, Malcolm. I was thinking about her middle name. I wanted it to do with your Mom, since Andi means light in Hawaiian **(A/N: I doubt this I true, but I need this for the sake of the story, so you know, chill out dearest)** , so I wanted her middle name to mean something about wisdom or knowledge."

I nodded. "Sophia. It means wise."

Aelia smiled. "Andi Sophia Dean. Perfect."

I felt Dream Me grin again. He cradled Andi in his arms. Andi opened her mouth and yawned again.

"Did the nurses already come in with her birth certificate and her foot prints?" I asked.

Aelia shook her head, and for the first time, I saw the bags under her eyes.

"How long were you in labor?" I demanded.

She gave me a smirk. "Forgetting already, are we, Blondie? I was only in labor for about 8-9 hours. Not that long, considering some women are in labor for 2 days."

I strode over to her, carefully enough not to squash my new daughter, and gave her a kiss on the lips. Her mouth was slightly chapped, not that I minded.

Lucas tugged on my pants leg. "Can I see Dani again?" he wondered aloud.

I laughed; a good, hearty, genuine laugh. "I don't think he'll be calling her Andi anytime soon." I told Aelia.

Aelia nodded and gazed lovingly at him. "I don't mind though. Dani will be his nickname for her."

I nodded in agreement and led Lucas to a rocking chair in the corner and then sat down. I had him stand in between my legs and placed Andi into his eager arms, but kept my hands around his elbows for support so he wouldn't drop her.

"Hi again, Dani! My name is Lucas. I am you's big brother."

Aelia chuckled. "I think you mean _your_ big brother, kiddo."

Lucas didn't even hear her. He babbled on and on to his baby sister until Andi finally got bored and drifted off to sleep.

Lucas fell asleep on my chest. I looked at Aelia over his tangled mess of black hair. She was getting drowsy, I could see it. She caught my eye. I nodded. She smiled in relief and fell asleep.

I hugged Lucas closer.

Then I fell asleep too.

* * *

When I woke up (still in Dream Me time), Aelia was wide awake, Lucas was hypnotized by the TV show that was playing, and Andi was cooing softly in her hospital issue baby basinet.

It was only then, I realized, that three other figures were in the room. Two with blonde hair, one with black. And they weren't nurses.

"Malcolm!" Noelle rushed over to me and threw her arms around my neck.

I rubbed her back. "Hey there, Elle."

She pulled away. I studied her as Noelle went over to cuddle Andi. Her golden blonde hair had grown longer, at least 6 inches. It twirled around her waist. I noticed a ring on her finger. It had a gold band and a diamond on it; simple, expensive, and beautiful.

I wondered who she was married (or engaged) to.

I went over to talk to the other people.

Percy had his arm slung over the shoulder of Annabeth as he talked to Aelia. Annabeth was studying the room. Her hands were resting on her stomach.

Then I realized that she had a very prominent baby bump poking out of her shirt.

"Hey there, little sis." Dream Me greeted.

Annabeth turned and gave me a side hug. "Hey there, Malcolm. Congrats! Baby #2 already."

Dream Me blushed. "Her name is Andi."

Annabeth grinned. "I know, Aelia told me. She also told me how Lucas refuses to call her Andi."

I laughed. "Yeah, he calls her Dani. But enough about us, how far are you along? Is it a boy or a girl?"

Annabeth, instantly knowing what I was talking about, glanced down tenderly at her soon to be born (by the looks of it) baby. "He's a boy. Percy and I don't know whether to name him Charlie or Luke. I want to name him Charlie, since Luke sounds way to close to Lucas, but Percy wants to honor Luke's memory."

I laughed again. "Why don't you name him Charlie, and have Luke to be his middle name? Aelia and I couldn't decide between Lucas and Noah, so we did the same thing. Lucas Noah Dean."

Annabeth nodded. "That's a pretty good idea, Malcolm. I don't get how I didn't think of it sooner."

I shrugged. "It's nothing."

I exchanged a few words with Percy, and then played with Lucas for a little bit. Percabeth left after awhile, so only Noelle was left.

"Noelle, can I ask you something?" Aelia asked.

Noelle raised an eyebrow, but nodded and went forward. When she got there, Aelia placed Andi in her arms and looked her in the eye.

"Noelle Amber Lynn Dare, will you be the godmother of my first daughter?" Aelia whispered; her voice soft.

Noelle was speechless for a moment. "Y-you want me to be the godmother of Andi?"

Aelia nodded.

"But… but _why_?"

"Dare, I've known you almost my whole life. You are one of the most dependable, trustworthy, kind, determined, courageous, and encouraging person I've ever met. I couldn't be any happier if you accepted." Aelia smiled at her tenderly.

Noelle's eyes watered. "It-it would be an _honor_ for me to be the godmother of Andi."

Aelia smiled again. Noelle grinned through her tears. She gave Andi a kiss on the forehead, said her goodbyes, and then left.

Lucas left with Noelle, as he was staying the night at her house since I was staying here.

Aelia and Andi dropped right off to sleep. I kissed them both, flicked off the lights, and laid down on one of the chairs.

Dream Me stared up into the darkness, getting drowsier bit by bit.

 _This was my family._

My eyelids grew heavy.

 _My family._

Then I drifted off to sleep, once again.

* * *

I snapped awake. Aelia was standing over me, shaking me as if her life depended on it. When she saw that I was awake, she stepped back and smirked.

"So the zombie lives. It's about time you woke up. Chiron may have let you skip _all_ of your activities today, but he's making you get up for tonight's memory watch." She grinned at me.

I took in my surroundings. I was back in the Big House guest room. It was dark outside, so it must've been campfire or dinner time. Aelia was dressed in black jeans, combat boots, a silver tank top, and a black unzipped hoodie. Her raven hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy top knot, just like it had in my dream.

 _My dream._

 _Did I get a vision from the future?_

 _What did it mean?_

 _Was I really going to marry Aelia and have two kids with her?_

Aelia, picking up on my confusion, frowned a little. "You okay, Malcolm? You look dazed."

I shook my thoughts out of my head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let me get on some different clothes and I'll meet you by the porch."

Aelia nodded, even though it was clear she didn't buy it. "Sure, okay."

She left the room and closed the door softly.

I traded my cargo shorts, sandals, and tank top for sweats, sneakers, a short sleeved shirt, and a pull over hoodie, as it was getting colder outside.

I went to brush my teeth. As I was cleaning my mouth, I thought about my dream. I didn't know what to think of it.

It made me happy, and confused at the same time.

Was it just a dream?

Or was it something more?

Despite being a son of Athena, I was clueless, and I _despise_ being clueless.

Aelia was waiting for me at the bottom of the porch steps. I think she was attempting to whittle, and horribly failing.

She'd curse out loud, chuck a stick at the lake, and try to take out her splinters before repeating the process.

"Did I take long?" I jokingly called as I went down the wooden stairs. They creaked under our combined weights as Aelia shifted and stood up to meet me.

"Centuries, Dean. You took centuries." She rolled her eyes.

I saw many campers making their way for the amphitheater, so I guess dinner had already ended.

Damn it.

My stomach growled from lack of food.

Aelia cast me a sideways glance, obviously hearing my stomach's cry. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a napkin with a sandwich in it. From her other pocket she took a juice box.

"I snuck these out for you. You can thank me later." She handed me the food.

"I think I'll thank you now." I told her. I stopped us, leaned over, and kissed her.

She smiled against my lips. When we pulled away, I slung an arm over her shoulder.

"Thank you, by the way." I told her.

She got the joke, Aelia laughed.

My breath caught. It sounded exactly the same as it did in the dream.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at Aelia the same way ever again.

In a good way, of course.

I think.

Thankfully, Aelia didn't notice my hesitation, so I continued to walk as if nothing had happened.

I still thought about it though. _Andi Sophia Dean_. _Lucas Noah Dean_. My future children. Unless, the Fates were messing with me.

I managed to finish my sandwich and juice before we got to the amphitheater.

Once everyone was seated, the gods appeared with a flash and rolling thunder (dramatic much, Lord Zeus?).

Then Hera clapped her hands. The screen shimmered into existence and the next memory began to play.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I solemnly swear that the next chapter with have a memory in it. You guys probably hate me, because I haven't included a memory since chapter 15 (egad!). I hope you loved this chapter.**

 **I admit, I cried while typing this when it came to Malcolm's dream.**

 **To you writers: Do you ever write a story, and you have the last chapter and the epilogue done, yet you have nothing else for the falling action and climax and all that stuff? Or is it just me since I'm such a weirdo?**

 **I bet you 5 drachmas that it's just me.**

 **I'm so freaking weird.**

 **ANNOUNCEMENT! I have decided to change Aelia's skin tone, since she's half Hawaiian. And since Hawaiian people don't have light skin, (it's true, look it up or something, or watch Lilo & Stitch, either one works just fine) you'll be seeing that I describe her skin as 'sun kissed' instead of 'tanned.' If you don't understand, than just think of Piper's skin tone. Basically that, but a shade lighter.**

 **ANNOUNCEMENT! The results are in! Many people liked Conelle better than Conoelle, so hurrah! Connor and Noelle's ship name is Conelle! Be proud of yourselves ladies (and gentlemen)!**

 **Anyways! Thanks for reading this chapter! I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love,** _ **love**_ **you so, so, so, so, so, so, so,** _ **so**_ **much! Until next time, sexy unicorns!**

 **XOXO,**

 **JiperxPercabeth**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

No One's POV

 **Author's Note:**

 **Woah! I'm not dead, people, sorry! I know it's been awhile since I last posted and everything, but I've been busy with my other story:** _ **The Seven are Going to High School?**_ **And it seems like that you guys really enjoy it! Thanks for reading and reviewing and following and favoriting so much, it means a lot.**

 **Okay, so I have a new story out:** _ **The Heart of the Sea**_ **; and I would really appreciate it if you guys could read it. It's about a girl named April, who is suffering from amnesia. Follow her as she struggles to figure out her past, her parentage, and the secrets about her life that have been hidden until now.**

 **Please read it you guys, like, I only have a few views and reviews. I want to know if you guys like it. Like, that's one of the main reasons I discontinued and abandoned so many stories: no one reviews on it and I'm all like:** _ **'Oh my gods… they hate it! They hate it! I should delete it! It's so horrible,'**_

 **Being a writer here can suck sometimes.**

 **But anyways, that's it! Thanks for reading this my dear lovely readers! I love you!**

 **Oh and one last thing: the disclaimer (which I don't get why we need it since we all know we own nothing…. But its whatever)**

 _ **Disclaimer: Rick owns everything except for the plot and my OC's.**_

 **And that's that!**

 **xxxXXXxxxXXXxxx**

 **Memory #8**

 **The screen showed a display even later on than before. Aelia was no longer a little kid, well… not by a lot. She was now 10 or 11 years old. Her hair reached out to her mid back, her legs had gotten longer, and her scar looked older (duh).**

 **Malcolm looked more of less the same, just with longer hair and he was obviously taller.**

 **Chloe and Moriah aged too. Her strawberry blonde hair swished back around her shoulder blades. Her black hair was cut into a messy bob.**

 **Mark and Leana were no longer teenagers. They were in their early 20's, and were taking charge a lot more often.**

 **The screen showed a flutter of scenes. But the one that stood out the most was when the group of 6 demigods found an abandoned house in New Jersey.**

Aelia and her friends smiled at the sight of the house, reminiscing all the good times they had there, and refusing to remember the grievous periods.

 **The group fixed it up until it was… tolerable. Aelia got control over her light powers.**

" **Hey, Mark? Leana… can I talk to you for a minute?" She called to the black haired man and the blonde haired girl.**

" **Sure, what's up, Lia?" Mark asked.**

 **She blushed a little and grinned at him. Then she seemed to remember what she was about to say and her smile faded. She kicked her legs and sucked in a breath.**

" **Look," she began, "I haven't been completely honest with you these past couple of years. You remember that time I was in the alley and like… my form changed and I looked like that girl who looks like an older and female version of Malcolm?"**

Malcolm and Annabeth turned to glare at Aelia while everyone else (except for the Athena cabin of course) snickered.

"Such a wonderful choice of words, Troy." Malcolm glowered.

Aelia inched away, "Why thank you, Malcolm Mallet."

"Do I really look like a female version of Malcolm?" Annabeth demanded.

Percy did the stupid thing and nodded.

Hera replayed the movie before slaps and punches could break out.

 **Mark and Leana frowned and motioned for her to take a seat on a creaky wooden chair.**

" **Yeah, I remember, but what does that have to do with you, Aelia? I'm pretty sure it was just a trick of the light." Leana told her.**

 **Aelia gave her a wry smile. "Oh it** _ **was**_ **a trick of the light… but I'm the one who caused it."**

" **Huh?"**

 **Aelia sucked in another breath and let go. "I have powers over light, I figured that out around 3 years ago, but my powers came into 'being' 4 years ago. I'm barely getting more and more in control; the powers just come and go."**

 **They stared at her.**

" **Why didn't you tell us?" Mark gently asked.**

 **She looked down, "I'm sorry, it's just… I wanted to get my bearings first y'know? I wanted to gain control, but who knows how long that'll take, yeah? It could take my whole life time, or I could never get used to them. Malcolm told me I should tell you a long time ago… but-but I was scared…I'm not supposed to be scared…" She trailed off and studied the floor.**

 **Leana and Mark laughed out loud. Aelia looked up, surprised to say in the least.**

 **Mark stopped laughing for a few seconds to beckon her forward. "C'mere kid."**

 **Aelia cautiously walked up to him and he pulled her into a hug. The screen showed her face going red as she hugged him back.**

" **It's fine, Aelia, we're not mad. Surprised? Yeah, but mad? Nah. Not at you. I see where you're coming from, and I think I know who your godly parent is." Mark told her.**

 **Aelia perked up and pulled away. "You do? Who?"**

" **Apollo."**

 **Her excitement died and she frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. I though Apollo's kids were supposed to be blonde and have blue eyes. Or at least one of the two."**

"Yet here you are," Malcolm nudged her,

She swatted him arm but a grin was tugging at her lips. "Can it, Dean."

 **Mark shrugged. "Or maybe you're a daughter of Hermes who's blessed by Artemis, that would make the most sense, because you don't show any traits of the other gods."**

"Except for Zeus's pride." Chloe coughed.

The Stolls heard their older sister and laughed silently.

 **Aelia nodded and grinned. "Thanks for not being mad at me." She told them.**

" **No problem, kiddo. If you need it, maybe I can help you." Mark offered.**

 **Aelia nodded again. "Definitely."**

 **Aelia left and went outside. The sun was shining and bird chirps echoed around the woods. Moriah and Chloe were sparring off to the side, and Malcolm was attempting to whittle, and wasn't actually failing.**

Malcolm leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You see, _that's_ how you whittle, Lia. Not… whatever you were doing,"

Aelia scowled at her boyfriend and elbowed him in the gut. He grunted. Then she pressed her lips to his ear and hissed, "Shut up, Blondie,"

Malcolm flashed her a weak smirk before groaning quietly and hugging his hard abdomen. Aelia grinned triumphantly and turned back to the screen.

 **Aelia tied her long hair into a ponytail and approached Malcolm. He looked up from the tree he was leaning against and raised an eyebrow.**

 **Aelia licked her lips and sat down beside him. Malcolm looked at her expectantly.**

" **Well?" he gave her a pointed look.**

 **Aelia cast him a blank glance. "Well** _ **what**_ **?"**

" **Did you tell 'em?"**

" **Yeah."**

" **Well…"**

" **Well** _ **what**_ **?"**

" **What was their reaction?"**

 **Aelia shrugged. "I dunno,"**

" **What do you mean you don't know?"**

" **Don't be stupid, Dean."**

" **I can say the same thing to you right now, Troy," He retorted.**

 **Aelia chucked the half whittled stick into the thick curtain of leaves, trunks, and branches. Before the twig eve disappeared, her dagger was out, sharper than ever, and pressed into Malcolm's neck.**

 **Malcolm inhaled sharply when he felt the cool sting of her dagger pressed into his throat. He tried to stare down cross eyed at it. He failed, so instead, he looked up at Aelia.**

 **Her gray eyes were swirling, though with mischief or malice, Malcolm couldn't tell.**

 **Aelia's eyebrow was raised. A strand of hair fell in her eyes and she blew it away. She leaned in close so her lips were centimeters away from Malcolm's.**

 **Her eyes were trained on his own eyes. Malcolm gulped.**

Everyone leaned in, getting caught up in the suspense. Aphrodite and her children were internally dying at the sight of sexual tension, even though they were just kids.

" **Funny how you would say that, Dean. 'Cause from where I'm standing, it seems that if you** _ **did**_ **say…oh… that I shouldn't be** _ **stupid**_ **, per say," Aelia paused and stared down at the boy.**

 **Malcolm came to a conclusion.**

 **Malice.**

 _ **Definitely**_ **malice.**

" **Well," Aelia continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "let's just say it wouldn't end well for you,** _ **Malcolm**_ **."**

 **Then she withdrew her dagger and stuffed it into its sheath. She shot a smile at Malcolm.**

" **Just mind your own business and we'll do fine, Malcolm, got it?"**

" **Whatever,"**

 **She sent him a warning look, chucked the dagger at the spot just above his head. Malcolm flinched. Aelia smirked and dug out the dagger from the trunk of the tree.**

" **Don't test me, Dean." She warned him, and then she walked off.**

And with that, the memory ended.

Clarisse grunted. "What's up with these super short memories?"

Aelia shrugged. "Who knows? Ask our _dear Queen_ ,"

Hera gave the daughters of Apollo and Ares disgruntled looks and waved away the screen. "Do not question me, foolish demigods."

Annabeth muttered obscenities under her breath.

Malcolm looked up at the sky and saw that the sky had barely darkened.

"Um, Chiron? Since it's barely curfew-"

"Yes, child?" The centaur looked up.

Malcolm took a deep breath. "Since it's barely curfew, can we- you know- have free time?" His eyes slid over to Aelia. She raised an eyebrow questioningly and he looked back at his mentor.

Chiron thought about it for a minute and nodded. "Oh, alright. It's Friday anyways."

The campers cheered and stampeded out of the amphitheater. Aelia grinned and got up, but Malcolm caught her arm.

She turned to him, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Malcolm, are you okay?" she asked,

Malcolm looked into her eyes. In those eyes, he remembered the shine of joyful tears as they gazed down at their baby girl. In those eyes, he remembered her cry of delight when they saw him.

Malcolm shook those thoughts out of his head. It was now or never. He couldn't keep this from her any longer, despite only having the dream a half hour ago.

He sucked in a deep breath.

Aelia placed her hand on his arm. Malcolm almost went dizzy from the warmth of her touch, but he refused to swoon. He had business to do.

Malcolm gazed into her gray eyes, the flecks of gold shining with concern.

Then he opened his mouth and 5 words that Aelia was terrified of. 5 words that she never wanted to hear in her life. 5 words that scared her out of her mind. 5 words that she hoped would never exit from her boyfriend's lips.

"Aelia, we need to talk."

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I updated, just because. I'm not going to update the** _ **Seven Are Going to High School**_ **for awhile because I've been updating** _ **wayyy**_ **too much lately. So yeah, thanks for reading!**

 **XOXO,**

 **PercyJacksonGreekFreak**


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